Within societies, groups of people develop rules [both written and unwritten] to govern
their relationships. Together these rules come to form what is known as ‘Culture’. One
inhibitor to cultural change is male dominance. Because of heightened levels of androgens,
male humans are genetically disposed towards control. In addition, childhood socialization
encourages male dominance and female subjugation.
Over time, this predisposition has led to a situation wherein a small number of men
become dominant, while most men - and all women - are subjugated to their will. This has
significant negative results: [1] the exposure of the working class to exploitation and [2]
the abuse of women and children. This Paradigm of male dominance – Patriarchalism - is
global. It has been shown to exist [to one degree or another] since the dawn of time across
all Nations - regardless of the efforts of Feminists to prove otherwise. Even in the West,
where there is a lower level of dominance, men fill most of the roles in high-status areas as
well as high-status roles in low-status areas. Although the Paradigm has a cultural (as
opposed to a faith) basis - within the World’s faiths, the Paradigm has been used to impose
hierarchical structures. This has led to spiritual abuse, as some have sought to dominate
other believers within those faiths.
Politically, the evidence against such men is no less condemnatory. In the East and on the
African Continent, single party dictatorships effectively dominate Nations of millions.
Elsewhere Multi-national companies headed up by Billionaire Moguls control the fate of
millions across the globe. Both forms achieve the goal of the predatory elite – effective
control over the masses and financial over lordship. In Africa, the Paradigm has survived
in a form similar to that in the time of Christ. This is true of the Kingdom of Swaziland Page iv
where significant similarities are found when the Traditional culture is compared to that of
its Greco-Roman counterpart.
Theologically, both Complementarians and Egalitarians want marriages that display God’s
glory; both seek to do the will of God; both honestly interpret God’s word. Yet, their
resultant interpretations are contrary. Once the Scriptures have been sifted through, we
find two significant points of departure. For the Hierarchicalists, male leadership is critical
to the debate and overrides all other considerations. To Egalitarians, mutual submission -
as required by Galatians 3:28 and Ephesians 5:21 - constitutes the point of departure.
This research focusses on five specific areas. Firstly, it records the social and historic
development of the Patriarchalistic Paradigm. Secondly, it compares the culture of the
Kingdom of Swaziland to the Greco Roman culture that existed at the time of Christ.
Thirdly, it seeks to bridge the theological gap between Complementarians and Egalitarians
through the application of Paul and Peter’s eschatological ‘already-not yet’ beliefs
operating in the ‘now’. Fourthly, it outlines a practical theology of marriage that Believers
can apply within any culture. Finally it theologically evaluates the Patriarchalistic
understanding of Authority and Marriage within the context of the Kingdom of Swaziland.