“Rebels for Christ?: Gender, Race and Class in Mission”

1. “Rebels for Christ?: Gender, Race and Class in Mission” Eva French Francesca French Mildred Cable

2. The origins of ‘Christendom’expansion and integration of secular Empire • Roman occupation of increasingly remote areas Gaul, Germany, Britain, Spain • coordination of crop production, transport of natural resources • developed infrastructure, cities emerge [paved roads, postal system PaxRomana

3. Belief and Roman Society • polytheistic • ready absorption of gods from other cultures, except Masada Judaism: monotheistic Jewish governance crushed in Jewish Wars, 70CE • other religious sects: teacher named Jesus Romans feared rebellion and executed him followers believed divinity and resurrection called the ‘Christ’ - the anointed one persecuted until after 325, Council of Nicea • split – Constantinople vs. Rome

4. The Protestant Reformation • in western Europe entire states became Christian and the Church was a religious and political institution • Martin Luther (1483-1546) • money to Rome: Indulgences and taxes political and moral • wrote Ninety-Five Theses and excommunicated • ‘Justification by faith alone’ • closure of monasteries • translations of Bible into vernacular ** REALLY important ** • end of priestly authority, especially the Pope WHY matters?? • return to biblical text for authority – education to do so

5. Secular Political Interest in Reform • coalesces with: theological arguments popular support • German princes interested • support for reform spreads throughout Germany Then, • Switzerland, Low Countries • England: King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) Act of Supremacy • France: John Calvin (1509-1564) • Scotland, Netherlands, Hungary

6. Popular support Urban classes • commercial investors • connected • educated Grace Why (all) does that matter? Biblical criticism

7. The old system worked, but it was clunky • limited number of people with knowledge could operate • extremely limited application

8. vs. accessible – appeals to everyone, not just scientists It is successful because it is about ‘what makes it work’ the operating system and the software Transformed culture and practice

9. The Catholic Reformation Roman Catholic church • refined doctrine • missionary activities • renew spiritual activity ‘Ecstasy of St. Theresa’ Council of Trent (1545-1563) Society of Jesus (Jesuits) founded by St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) Roman Catholic Inquisition ** exactlywhen we were talking about **

10. Post-reformation Europe Roman Catholic Lutheran Calvinist Anglican (Church of England) Christian Reformed

11. So as nations becoming modern capitalist states, belief is right there:Revival, commerce and power Modern Evangelicalism individual duty imperative to transform this world Christology lay leadership Symbiosis commercializing society mercantile policies Shift to modern governed Empire

12. Faith into action - at home‘respectable’ radicals • Abolition of slavery evangelical thinkers organizing, fundraising, petitioning parliament Clapham Sect Members of Parliament moral ‘tone’ of Empire • Work for ‘social uplift’ voluntary societies women barred from preaching

13. Faith into Action - abroad …. began at home Established: SPG SPCK Islands and Highlands settler colonies – N.A., etc. CMS Nonconformist Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) (denominational) London Missionary Society (LMS) (non denominational)

14. What could they do? Obtain permission from local groups from imperial powers [EIC] from government Then: translation and printing presses chapels, itinerating, proselytizing, zenana visitation schools, colleges, universities hospitals and dispensaries orphanages, widows, famine work social welfare TENSION – work for social welfare, or only preaching?

15. Who heard the ‘call’ the ‘respectable’ classes, becoming professional (♂) How (all) did gender matter? → ‘being’ respectable → gendered expectations → at home and abroad → becoming professional (♀)

16. Faith Missions • Tea, for the breath of the dragon • Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) critique of British policy critique of liberal mainstream institutions • China Inland Mission CIM (est. 1865)

17. Redefining professionalism • working class candidates, untrained • volunteers • dressing, eating, living…. going “native” • itinerant lifestyle • ‘China Council’ with missionaries the members • International • and, hired women single, from 1860s again from 1880s Canadian missionaries, Vancouver 1925

18. hiring good people managing marriage … and working mothers making the next generation of mission workers keep families in China and, keeping them British Growth of the mission – it exploded

19. Rhetoric and Reality: Chefoo, Race and Class Sanitarium and school: mission families and children 1870s certain families ‘missing’ 1880s mixed race expats expelled British ‘normal’ education Corporal punishment for speaking vernacular languages

20. Not all, always uglybut a lot was – evangelicals take advantage of misfortune meaning LMS/CMS in southern Africa • Robert Morrison, David Livingstone • legal/social support against Boers and later the British govt. • education for all (practical) all together initially • CofE Bishop Colenso

21. everyone interested For Britain by 19C: Suez/East Africa West Africa/Southeast Africa South and East Africa/Congo proxy wars displace systems in place Why was ‘protection’ ‘necessary’?the continent always central and of central importancegeopolitical, economic and then humanitarian

22. Why Africa, why this way?

23. Tulbagh Valley “…They resemble us, but in appearance are the colour of pumpkin-porridge…They are rude of manners and without any graces or refinement.They carry a long stick of fire.With this they kill and loot from many nations.” - from Zulu epic poem Khoisan Xhosa Zulu Southern African – in place

24. Boer English Relations • to early 18C the Cape Colony was Dutch 1st to provision ships they then settled in the temperate climate Reformed theology – enslave locals [more slaves than settlers] • English introduced Common Law • so subjugated people more slowly, and legally • Boers left (trekked) • dispossessed people settled in homelands • legacy of ethnic-racial inequity - but also deeply religious Christians

25. Conclusion ‘Called’ to convert, yet increasingly middle class institution builders consistent gendered divisions Need to connect in order to convert yet, maintain separation “Just connect” Individual faith institution of the family institutional faith culturally western (but Christianity is not)

26. see: “Inn of the Sixth Happiness”