Missionary lives : Papua, 1874-1914 

Abstract

Missionary Lives offers a compelling portrait of the remarkable Europeans who went to Papua to spread the gospel. Using a biographical model, Diane Langmore explores the economic, social, intellectual, and religious backgrounds of all 327 men and women. The results reveal a diverse collection of people who defy easy categorization, whose beliefs, values, and aspirations influenced Papuan lives and culture. This is a vivid and sympathetic account of ordinary human beings confronted by the loneliness and frustrations of frontier life. How they handled the novel situations in which they found themselves makes a fascinating story. A wide range of primary sources enriches this work: private papers, diaries, and the author’s correspondence and interviews with descendants of some of the missionaries.