Christianity and Colonial Protest

A perennial debating point among those concerned with Christianity in colonial Africa has been the nature or absence of sensitivity among European missionaries (and, later, African church leaders) toward questions of justice. Scholars concerned with church and society in Africa from the nationalist historiographical period onward have sought evidence concerning a Christian appreciation of the contradictions of colonialism and a commitment to rectification of injustices that by its nature colonialism tended to produce. In eastern African studies especial attention has been directed toward W. E. Owen, the Anglican archdeacon of Kavirondo throughout the interwar period.1 His broad range of interests, his outspokenness, and his general responsiveness to African initiatives have combined to render him a controversial figure in colonial affairs and a perplexing and oft-times frustrating figure among mission leaders of the time. It remains useful to continue to re-examine Owen's perspectives and actions, for they speak directly to the challenge of Christian responsibility in a culturally-diverse and frequently unjust world, and to the way in which individuals responded to that challenge. This article reflects an effort at such understanding in a colonial environment.2 Owen's political involvements throughout his mission career centred upon four major themes: forced labour, the administration of justice, African political participation, and variations upon cultural practices that seemed to violate individual freedom.3 His concerns regarding labour ran the gamut from unpaid labor for public works to labour for essential undertakings during the second world war. Regarding the administration of justice they related particularly to abuses in local tribunals and to the problems of interpretation, and regarding African political participation, they

African studies · Archaeology · Christianity · Colonialism · History of religions · Sociology · Theology · Anthropology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Christian Theology and Mission · History · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development · Religious studies

• The Juridical Foundation of Government Forced Labor, 1902–1912

  Open Access•Opolot Okia•Communal Labor in Colonial Kenya•2012

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