Abstract
Drawing on archival research, this article interprets the initial interactions between American Congregational missionaries and Hawaiian Islanders in relation to basic value conflicts surrounding the abolition of the kapu (taboo) system within the Hawaiian society of the 1820s. It is argued that the missionaries were aware of these conflicts and acted, often unintentionally, in ways which implied “taking sides.” Although they sought the support of the expatriate business community, they also challenged oppressive dimensions of the indigenous authority structure regarding women and commoners. This emancipatory dimension of missionary praxis is suggestive of social ethical implications for cross-cultural ministry today.
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