The Missionaries - Norman Lewis

The prose is wonderful: even, calm, almost detached, but full of all the colours and smells and characters of the author's journeys. It was some of the best travel writing I had ever come across. But the argument irritated: that missionary work in South America was at best detrimental to the natives' culture, and at worst an alliance with greedy entrepreneurs determined to get cheap labour. There is no thorough research, rather this author leaves us with impressions. So he always uses the word `sect' when referring to the missionaries, so conjuring up damaging fanaticism: but these missionaries do not belong to `sects'. The Summer Institute of Linguistics, one of the missions attacked, is a part of the Wycliffe Bible Translators, which is supported by all main line Christian denominations. Lewis is not attacking weird `sects', he is attacking all Christian mission activity, and that is an odd position to take. Before Christians came to parts of South America the Aztecs engaged in twenty four hour human sacrifice; the Hindus had `sati', widow burning; in other places there were cannibals. Another impression he gives is that missionaries are money minded people. Perhaps some are, but most people who have had any dealings with the Wycliffe Bible Translators will know they are not. And everyone can read `The Shadow of The Almighty' by Elizabeth Eliot largely made up of the diaries of her husband, Jim Eliot, who was killed by tribes people in Eucador in the 1950's. He was no lover of money. If you like travel writing, this is a must, but only enjoy the clothes, ignore the body of the argument.