Missionaries and their Parish Churches at Home and Abroad
Our Free Lectures
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1h 7m
These buildings were important, because they were not only where services took place, but they also created a 'home-away-from-home' and a sense of familiarity in what were often hostile and unfamiliar environments. Like the parish church buildings of England, these mission churches were at the centre of the mission community. This talk will take you on a journey to the Eastern Cape, South Africa, to explore some of the churches built by nineteenth century Anglican missionaries. These missions were established in 1855, and the buildings reflect the "revival" styles popular in England at the time, especially Norman and Gothic. This is hardly surprising as these missions were part of a concerted effort by the British Cape Colonial government to Anglicise the region. This talk explores the careers of these buildings and how they were viewed by both missionaries the amaXhosa, the local people amongst whom these mission stations were built. This talk explores the sights and sounds of these buildings, and reflects on their importance to the communities which used them. It also offers some insights into the interactions between British missionaries and local peoples, and what these buildings can tell us about the role of religion in British colonial expansion.
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