The battle for Sunday: Missionary work and the Basotho in the gold mine compounds, 1920-1940
Date
1994-09-05
Authors
Maloka, Eddy
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Abstract
Missionary and evangelical work among the Africans in the mine
compounds took place on Sundays, Good Friday, Boxing, Christmas
and New Year's days, when African mine workers in the compounds
were allowed a whole day's rest. Attempts by missionaries to
have workers come to their religious services on these days, had
to face competition from other leisure options that the workers
had. This study is going to focus on the activities of the Paris
Evangelical Missionary Society (PEMS) among the Basotho in the
mine compounds. It will attempt to go beyond looking at religion
and the working class simply in terms of the role that the church
played in instilling workers with an industrial ethic; there is
a need to also look at the dynamics of proselytisation and
conversion in the compounds, and the importance that religion had
for the miners.
Description
African Studies Seminar series. Paper presented 5 September 1994
Keywords
Société des missions évangéliques de Paris, Sotho (African people). Missions, Missions. South Africa. History, Sotho (African people). Religion, Gold miners. South Africa. History, Christianity. South Africa. History