Missionaries and Anthropology

Abstract

The relationships between missionaries and anthropology have often been fraught with tensions. However, the nature of those tensions has changed over the years. Recently there has been an increased anthropological interest in the study of missions, a development that corresponds with the growth of interest in postcolonial studies and in global Christianities. The early parts of this entry focus primarily on relations between anthropology and Protestant missionaries, while later parts also consider missions of other religions, especially Islam.