Story: Missions and missionaries

Missionaries as peacemakers

Missionaries as peacemakers

This 1856 illustration shows the Church Missionary Society missionaries William (front) and Henry Williams confronting a Māori war party. William Williams is reading extracts from the Bible in te reo Māori. From the 1830s missionaries such as the Williams brothers had enough knowledge of the Māori language, and enough status, to successfully intervene in armed disputes.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: PUBL-0151-2-013

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Peter J. Lineham, 'Missions and missionaries - Māori converts', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/28015/missionaries-as-peacemakers (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Peter J. Lineham, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 8 Aug 2018