Of Umbilical Cord and Placenta—“The Word Became Flesh”: Incarnation, Matriarchy, and Ecology in African Theology

In an engaging essay that deploys the significance of the umbilical cord and placenta for grounding the identity of Jesus and his mother, Mary, the African ecofeminist scholar and gender-justice activist Fulata Lusungu Moyo offers a refreshing way of looking at the themes of incarnation, motherhood, and ecology in the quest for gender and ecological justice in Africa and the world. Drawing from Moyo’s essay in conversation with other African and feminist theological resources, this article interrogates the discourse on incarnation in African theology and its implications for matriarchy and ecology. Through the lens of a feminist perspective on “deep incarnation,” it draws attention to the failure of incarnational realism in the African context, foregrounding the need for an ethics of justice and collective engagement in addressing the concerns of women in Africa. The article deepens appreciation of the feminine materiality of Christianity.