Theology, idolatry and science : John Williams’ missionary ethnography and natural history of the South Pacific
Journal article
Irving-Stonebraker, Sarah. (2018). Theology, idolatry and science : John Williams’ missionary ethnography and natural history of the South Pacific. Journal of Religious History. 42(3), pp. 343-358. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12492
Authors | Irving-Stonebraker, Sarah |
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Abstract | This article contributes to the recent scholarly efforts toward a more sophisticated understanding of the relationship between Protestant missionaries and the practice of natural history and ethnography in the early nineteenth century. Exploring John Williams’ work in the South Pacific, I argue that not only was Williams practicing science in the form of ethnography and natural history, but that his theology was, in fact, central to his scientific work. Through a careful exploration of Williams’ account of his missionary activities in the South Pacific, I contend that Williams’ conception of idolatry served as an explanatory tool that shaped the practice of his ethnography. In the minds of missionaries like Williams, whereas Christianity’s truth was universal, idolatry was the worship of a false god: false because it was just a deification of a particular desire rather than worship of the universal God. This conception of idolatry shaped Williams’ contention, central to his ethnography, that the islanders’ religion was a product of their particular cultural needs. In this way, I argue, Williams used a theological concept to perform explanatory scientific work, contributing to the idea that religion is a product of culture, a notion that became central to nineteenth century studies of religion. |
Year | 2018 |
Journal | Journal of Religious History |
Journal citation | 42 (3), pp. 343-358 |
Publisher | John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |
ISSN | 0022-4227 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12492 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85042110268 |
Page range | 343-358 |
Publisher's version | License All rights reserved File Access Level Controlled |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 14 Feb 2018 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 28 Aug 2017 |
Deposited | 19 Jul 2023 |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8z559/theology-idolatry-and-science-john-williams-missionary-ethnography-and-natural-history-of-the-south-pacific
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