The crisis of the church of Sweden Mission among the Zulus during the 1880s
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Authors
Hale, Frederick, 1948-
Issue Date
2008
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Church of Sweden , Anglo-Zulu war
Alternative Title
Abstract
After the destruction of its original station at Oscarsberg near
Rorke’s Drift in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, the Church of
Sweden Mission gradually developed its programme of
evangelism and social ministry under the leadership of Otto
Witt during the 1880s. However, Witt underwent a spiritual
crisis and gradually became disillusioned with the missionary
strategy of his Lutheran agency. His criticism of its emphasis
on establishing mission stations and their schools went handin-
hand with his increasing focus on itinerant evangelism, the
imminent Second Advent of Jesus Christ, and a de-emphasis of
educational work that ran counter to the Lutheran
confessionalism of the Church of Sweden Mission. This
brought Witt into conflict with its leadership, causing an
internal crisis and eventually leading to his departure from this
Lutheran organisation. Despite this setback, it weathered the
storm and emerged from it with new initiatives leading to inter
alia an emphasis on ministry to urbanised Zulus in Natal and,
eventually, on the Witwatersrand.
Description
Peer reviewed
Citation
Frederick, H. 2008,'The crisis of the Church of Sweden Mission among the Zulus during the 1880s',
Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae, vo.l XXXIV, no. 2, pp. 223-242.
Publisher
Church History Society of South Africa
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1017-0499