This month, learn about two pioneering African women—Jeannie Dove of Ghana and Dorothy Maubane of South Africa—and see how they contributed to movements for equality and liberation in their respective countries through their newfound faith as Christian Scientists. Both women joined the church in adulthood. This proved to be transformative in helping themselves and others to overcome difficult issues around racial animosity, gender discrimination, and class prejudice. Both Dove and Maubane went on to serve as practitioners and teachers of Christian Science. Dr. Telesia Musili, Kenyan Coordinator of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians, joins the podcast, framing the stories of these two women within contemporary perspectives. These include addressing the tearing down of oppressive power structures in one’s life and community.
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Dr. Telesia Kathini Musili is a lecturer at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Nairobi, Kenya. She is also a research fellow at the University of South Africa and the National Coordinator of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. Her research interests revolve around the intersection of religion, ethics, media, and the environment, with a specific focus on contemporary issues affecting women and society.
Dr. Michael Hamilton is The Mary Baker Eddy Library’s executive manager. He came to the position following 10 years in the Religion and Philosophy Department at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. Prior to teaching, he served for 20 years as an active-duty US Navy chaplain, ministering to units in both the navy and marine corps. He holds a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research and writing focus is on American religions. Hamilton recently wrote an article on Jeannie Dove for the Library’s “Women of History” series, and he presented a version of this article at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature in November 2023.
Allyson Lazar comes to the Library with a background in the museum field. As Senior Manager of Research and Collections, she has the pleasure of engaging with archivists, records managers, researchers, editors, transcribers, transcription verifiers, encoders, and digital historians—all working to manage and provide access to a rich archival collection. She is also the author of an article on Dorothy Maubane in the Library’s “Women of History” series.
Collage photos: Still image of Jeannie Dove from the film But What Can I Do?, 1970. Photo of Dorothy Maubane used by permission. Additional images © MBEL or used by permission.
