The Missionary’s Dilemma: A Short History of Christian Marriage and its Impact upon Gender Equality in Maisin Society

AUTHOR(S)
John Barker
Culture

In this chapter, the author explores the history and local ramifications of the Anglican campaign to impose Christian standards of marriage upon the Maisin, as they appeared in the 1980s. He sets the stage by relating his first impressions of Maisin marriage and then drawing out the distinctions between indigenous and missionary assumptions about marriage and divorce. The next two sections draw upon archival sources and oral testimonies to outline the missionary push to impose Christian standards and the shape of the Maisin response. In the final ethnographic section, the author examines the influences the missionary campaign had upon local understandings of gender, focusing on the experience of the local church women’s group, the Mothers’ Union. In the conclusion, the author briefly discuss more recent changes in Maisin marriage practices in terms of their relationship to gender equality.

Research Type(s)
Book Chapter
Submitted by Almah Tararia
April 6, 2022
Published in
2021
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