Mercy Oduyoye

Who is Mercy Oduyoye?

Mercy Amba Oduyoye is a Methodist theologian known for her work in African women's theology. She is currently the director of the Institute of African Women in Religion and Culture at Trinity Theological Seminary in Ghana.

Oduyoye earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Ghana in 1963, a second bachelor's degree from Cambridge University in 1965, and a master's degree from Cambridge in 1969. From 1967-1979, she was youth education secretary for the World Council of Churches; from 1987–1994, she was Deputy General Secretary for the same organization. She has taught at Harvard University, Union Theological Seminary, and the University of Ibadan. She has also served as president of the World Student Christian Federation.

Oduyoye has written four books and over eighty articles focusing on Christian theology from a feminist and African perspective. One of her central subjects is how African religion and culture influences the experiences of African women. In particular, she has addressed the effects of economic oppression on African women.

Oduyoye has been awarded honorary degrees by the University of the Western Cape in 2002 and Yale University in 2008.