Philomena Njeri Mwaura

Philomena Njeri Mwaura is a Kenyan Female theologian and an Associate Professor Religious Studies at Kenyatta University, Kenya. She has published widely in the areas of African Christianity- History and Theology and New Religious Movements.

Education
Philomena obtained a Bachelor of Education in 1979 from the University of Nairobi Kenya, and a Master of Arts in 1984 from the same university. She wrote her masters thesis on the Akurinu churches. She received her PhD from Kenyatta University in 2001 with a thesis titled A theological and cultural analysis of healing in Jerusalem church of Christ and Nabii Christian church of Kenya.

Career
Mwaura was Coordinator of the Theology Commission and Women's Commission (Africa Region) of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians and president of the International Association for Mission Studies. She is a member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians and Chair of the Collaborative Centre for gender and Development in Kenya. Mwaura teaches in the Center for Gender Equity and Empowerment at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, and was previously its director (2012- 2016). She is on the advisory council of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography.

Philomena is affiliated to several professional bodies. Some of these professional bodies are: International Association for Mission Studies, Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, Ecumenical Symposium of Eastern Africa Theologians, and African Association for the Study of Religion.

Awards
Philomena has won several awards and grants. in May August 2018 2012, she was a senior Research Fellow at the, Nagel Institute, Calvin College USA. Her other awards are: recognition as 8th position among Directors in Kenyatta University who had achieved their Performance Contract Targets. Awarded Senior Research Fellow at Yale Divinity School and Overseas Ministries Study Centre, New Haven, Connecticut, USA : 2010. Recognized the 4th among 50 top researchers in Kenyatta University,2007. Awarded William Paton Research Fellowship at University of Birmingham, UK, 2007. Awarded a scholarship to study at the Center for the Study of New Religious Movements at Selly Oak Colleges, University of Birmingham, UK, in 1996. Philomena was a consultant for the Project” Engaging Africa”, organized by Nagel Institute Calvin College USA and Funded by John Templeton Foundation 2013-2017

Research
Mwaura's research is in African Christianity, new religious movements and religious education. She was co-editor of Theology in the Context of Globalization: African Women's Response and Challenges and Prospects of the Church in Africa. Mwaura argues that the founding of churches by women in Africa is "the ultimate act of religious independency and self-determination".

Chapters

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