Entanglements of Empire
Missionaries, Maori, and the Question of the Body
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Duke University Press
Published:29th Dec '14
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£23.99(9780822358268)
This book examines the complex interactions between Māori and missionaries in early 19th-century New Zealand, detailing cultural exchanges and their lasting impacts. Entanglements of Empire provides crucial insights.
In Entanglements of Empire, Tony Ballantyne explores the intricate dynamics that emerged following the establishment of the first Protestant mission in New Zealand in 1814. This pivotal moment initiated a series of complex political, cultural, and economic interactions with the Māori people. Ballantyne highlights how influential Māori chiefs developed an interest in missionary Christianity, leading to profound consequences for both Māori and European settlers. The book delves into the nuances of cross-cultural exchanges, illustrating how concepts such as civilization, work, time, space, and gender became sites of contention and negotiation between the two groups.
One of the primary focuses of Entanglements of Empire is the physical body, which emerged as a particularly contentious site of cultural engagement. The author examines the struggles over hygiene practices, tattooing, clothing, and sexual morality, showcasing how both Māori and missionaries grappled with their differing beliefs and practices. Through detailed analysis, Ballantyne reconstructs the ways in which these interactions shaped identities and worldviews, revealing the complexities of cultural translation and adaptation.
The narrative culminates in 1840 with the formal colonization of New Zealand, marking a significant turning point in the relationship between Māori and European settlers. By highlighting the mutual influences experienced in various settings—classrooms, chapels, kitchens, and farmyards—Entanglements of Empire contributes meaningfully to ongoing discussions surrounding religion and empire, offering insights into the legacies of these early encounters.
“[O]utstanding and very readable book…. [T]his is a profound and close reading of an essential period of cultural interaction in our history.” -- Nicholas Reid * Reid's Reader Blog *
"[T]his is a work of considerable depth and value.… Ballantyne’s work will in the future be essential reading for anyone wishing to understand and engage in this discussion." -- Vincent O’Malley * H-Empire, H-Net Reviews *
"Ballantyne presents his complex, theoretically informed history with admirable skill and a persuasive authorial voice.... Scholars interested in the history of the British Empire and its impact on indigenous peoples will find this a fine study of imperial relations within one small and distant colony-in-waiting. He is to be congratulated on this very considerable achievement." -- Patricia Grimshaw * American Historical Review *
"This elegantly written and brilliantly argued book further enhances Tony Ballantyne’s reputation as New Zealand’s leading historian, as well as a major scholar of imperial and global histories.... Entanglements of Empire is a landmark text that makes a vitally important contribution to the fields of New Zealand and British imperial history. It offers historians a new set of conceptual tools for approaching cross-cultural engagements in the past; provides fresh perspectives on the missionary project in Te Ika a Ma¯ui; and reminds us that struggles over the materiality of the body – over work, sharing food, intimacy, illness, death and so on – merit serious scholarly attention." -- Lyndon Fraser * Social History *
"I recommend Entanglements of Empire to scholars interested in the history of the British Empire, Oceania, and Christian missions. Well balanced, carefully articulated, and always insightful, it is likely to become a definitive work on the complexities of Protestant mission efforts in the region and beyond." -- Matt Tomlinson * Comparative Studies in Society and History *
"Entanglements moves backwards and forwards in a complex dance among actors, events and writing situated in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the empire....[T]his is a finely produced book, a delight to read." -- Michael P. J. Reilly * Journal of Pacific History *
"In this lucid and nuanced rereading of the missionary archive in early New Zealand, Tony Ballantyne makes impressively wide-ranging arguments about the centrality of the body to the thickening 'entanglements' between indigenous peoples and British evangelists between 1814 and 1840. . . . An important and useful book, Ballantyne’s methodological argument in particular deserves the engagement of those exploring the history of the body and other imperial sites of power and entanglement." -- Miranda Johnson * Journal of the History of Sexuality *
"In one volume, Entanglements of Empire showcases most of the characteristics that Ballantyne’s work has been praised for. It weaves between the personal and the political and it seamlessly travels from local to global vantage points. Without any rupture in the flow of narrative, it incorporates insightful minutiae on the one hand . . . and discussions of imperial geo-strategy on the other hand." -- Alan Lester * European Review of History *
ISBN: 9780822358176
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 640g
376 pages