The article discusses marriage practice and discourse within the Lutheran Norwegian
Missionary Society (NMS), mainly within the years 1880-1910. The focus is on
NMS discourse and practice in Norway and in Madagascar. Through a close reading
of missionary texts, the article offers an understanding of how marriage, gender,
sexuality, race and class structured both mission practice and discourse, and
how mission rules and regulations in this area were challenged and contested.
Luther saw marriage as a calling from God, and defined specific roles for women
and men within it. Mission practice and discourse shows that marriage provided
women with opportunities for family life and work for the mission. For men, marriage
could function as a source of upward social mobility and as a mechanism
to control their sexuality. It also provided men with opportunities for family life
and an assistant in mission work. Close studies of individuals within the mission
reveal the importance of marriage, gender, sexuality, race and class to mission
practice and discourse.
History
School
Social Sciences
Department
Communication, Media, Social and Policy Studies
Citation
NYHAGEN PREDELLI, L., 2001. Marriage in nineteenth century Protestant mission practice and discourse: the case of the Norwegian Missionary Society. Journal of Religion in Africa, 31 (1), pp. 4-48.