Macquarie Christian Studies Institute : Articles & Ideas

"When cultures clash"

Review of The Gospel of Gods and Crocodiles, Elizabeth Stead, by Kara Martin

Pastor Morley is a Seventh Day Adventist missionary who travels to an island north of Australia convinced that he is bringing God to the islanders. Unfortunately he discovers they already have their own gods and crocodiles, and they are tempted to feed him to them! In this beautifully written novel, Elizabeth Stead brings alive her own experiences of living with her husband and three children on just such an island.

Elizabeth told the ABC that she saw the impact of the missionaries: "They just went in and changed everything. That wasn't right... it makes me angry when I think about it."

In this novel the tables are turned on the missionaries who probably learn more than they teach. The initial lessons are about surviving in a place without electricity ad running water, and then dealing with the very secular settlers also arriving on the island in droves. In the midst of it the natives are the core of calm beauty, rapidly losing their idyllic lifestyle.

One criticism of the book is that all the missionaries are flawed characters, and sometimes in stereotypical ways: the Catholic priest is a child molester, the Anglican is a gambling drunk, the Mormon just wants to compromise the native women... However, beneath the heavy-handedness there are some eccentric characters and lots of wisdom.

Primarily this is a book about the clash of cultures. The missionaries end up trying to change so much that has nothing to do with the Gospel: what to eat, what to wear, where to live... In the end Pastor Morley does become a revered character among missionaries, settlers and the natives, but only because he is humble enough to start appreciating their ways, and act more like Jesus with his integrity and faithfulness and care toward the people.

The Gospel of Gods and Crocodiles is a book that will keep the reader pondering for weeks and months after it is finished. It is a disturbing book because it is very clear about the impact of "civilisation" on a native culture. The whites are an ugly people compared to the beauty of the native lifestyle. However, the reality is that the modern world was going to encroach on this paradise in time; and at least the presence of the missionaries was a controlling force on the extent of exploitation. These are not simple issues.

This review has focused on a particular element of this book, however there are many other characters and stories. Most of the people Elizabeth Stead writes about are very eccentric, but amidst the whimsy and fancy, there are characters who become the reader's friends, and enemies.

Another highlight is the sheer beauty of the language. The writing is very poetic, for example, Stead introduces one character who is awkward as a boy, as "all slow bones and grazes, chewed nails and blurred vision."

Elizabeth Stead has written a challenging book with much to offer.

KARA MARTIN is a lecturer with Macquarie Christian Studies Institute and is an avid reader and book group attendee. Kara does fiction reviews for Heart 1032's Open House (http://www.theopenhouse.net.au/).