Negotiating Space between Men and God

This book bridges theological, historical, and sociocultural perspectives to explore the lives and church experiences of women in Femmes Pour Christ in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon. Using a practical theological method, diakonia theories, and African feminist perspectives, it examines women’s personal and collective empowerment and transformation in the home, church, and society. While the movement fosters dignity and creates space for women in the church, they continue to face oppression in a patriarchal context. This work makes a significant contribution to African theology.

"Dr Bue Kessel’s research on Femmes Pour Christ highlights the movement’s role in empowering semirural women. The book details their mutual diaconal efforts within complex gender dynamics, emphasising their Christian identity as fundamental to their dignity. This compelling work illuminates the resilient and transformative power of faith in the face of adversity."

—Rev Dr Jeannette ADA EPSE MAINA, l’Institut Luthérienne de Théologie de Meiganga, Cameroon

"Dr Bue Kessel’s book provides an engaging encounter with an influential movement within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon. Yet it deserves a readership far beyond the Lutheran and Cameroonian contexts. Analysing solid empirical data, this book demonstrates how women in a mainstream Protestant church in Central Africa navigate challenging life experiences."

—Rev Dr Olivier Randrianjaka, Lutheran Graduate School

of Theology, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

Terese Bue Kessel is Associate Professor of Practical Theology and former Head of the Department of Theology at VID Specialized University, Stavanger, Norway (2016–2025). Her research explores the church’s transformative role in intercultural contexts, focusing on diaconal work, pastoral counselling, and faith and gender dynamics.