Sowing Seeds of Development: The role of Mission in the Educational, Economic, and Cultural Development in Namibia (1806-1926)

Abstract

This thesis tracks the long-term developments of Christianity and formal education in Namibia from its pre-colonial beginnings to the establishment of the Education Proclamation of 1926 (1806-1926). The Rhenish and Finnish Mission Societies serve as case studies for an analysis of comparative Christian theological goals; educational methods, standards, and language; missionary-colonial relationships; local conditions and contexts; supply versus demand of expansion; cultural and economic change; local agency; social mobility; and gender. Key attention is given to the Namibian context into which missions integrated and the effects of ‘shock events’ such as genocide. Despite the colonial preponderance in Namibian historiography, this thesis highlights the productive middle ground between Europeans and Africans. And crucially, highlights that local agency was the determinant factor in the expansion and success of education and Christian mission. The key research question is what were the comparative Rhenish and Finnish Mission approaches to education and evangelism in Namibia? Secondary research questions include: what were the missions’ original aims and what socio-economic effects did Mission have on Namibians, and what was the role of local agency in mission growth?