"New" men and women: gender perspectives on Norwegian Missions and indigenous Christianity in KwaZulu-Natal, 1840-1940

Abstract

In what ways were the lives of 19th century South African indigenous men and women affected by their encounters with Western missions and their subsequent conversion to Christianity? The life stories of Zibokjane kaGudu and Unompepo kaNhlwana Ngema, presented in this article, is the starting point of a discussion on how Western, Christian ideals of “selfmaking men” and “home-making women” influenced and transformed men’s and women’s roles in family, society, and church. This article focuses on the region of KwaZulu-Natal from 1844, and the encounters between Zulu men and women and Norwegian, Lutheran missionaries representing the Norwegian Missionary Society (NMS) in the region.