A change in missiology?: Perspectives on the theology of the Church of Sweden Mission 1945-2000, as reflected through leadership and by missionaries. Like orhermissionary organisations, the Church of Sweden Mission (CSM) has undegone farreaching change and development since its foundation in yhe nineteenth century, This study focuses on how missionaries and CSM's leadership have perceived the developments that have taken place. A survey was constructed and sent to all living missionaries during 2004-2005. Then six focus-group discussions were organised and various appeals for financial collections in local churches during the period 1945-1999 have been scrutinised. The methods employed are based on qualitative analysis (focus-groups), quantitative analysis (survey) and text analysis. A pilot survey, sent to a limited number of persons, was carried out in 2001 and provided guidance for the foumulation of questions both for the survey and for the focus-groups. Chapter 2 give Swedish historical perspectives on mission and missiology from the first beginning of interest in foreign mission around the year 1800 til 2000. Chapter 3 gives international perspectives on missiology after 1945 focusing two major international handbooks on missiology and a Norwegian handbook. Chapter 4: Survey to all missionaries 2004-2005. The answers to the survey showed a clear tendency in the shift of motivation from mission to dialogue and from evangelisation to diaconal and humanitarian goals. 38 per cent say that they have changed their own missiology. Chapter 5: Focus group discussions in 2005. The majority of the participants in the six different focus-group discussions stated that the CSM had gone through major changes both theologically and practically, during the period under study. Chapter 6: Appeals for collections 1945-1999. The analysis shows that evangelisation remained the overall motive that was given for the whole period. On one hand there was a widespread continuity over the whole period, and on the oter hand a certain change in diaconal motives from the 1970s onwards, which were more often presented side by side with evangelisation. All three studies point to a change from conservative theology, to first to liberal theology and then on to radical theology. The change being less clear in the collection appeals than in the survey and the focus-group discussions.

In January, 1951, the Lutheran Church of China denounced all relations with the American, German and Scandinavian missions, which for more than half a century had worked in the country. As one of the first, this church made a clear and corporate stand in favour of the New Democracy and the Three-Self Movement, while most of the missions made their political choice, retreated with the Nationalists and finally went to Taiwan. This book presents the Lutheran missions from optimistic new orientations in 1944 to the evacuation and the break down of the cooperation with the Chinese church seven years later. This short .period was dramatic and of great importance for the whole missionary movement, and the study may lead to renewed self-criticism and to a necessary re-evaluation of the Chinese Revolution - one of the most significant events in World History.

In Natal and Zululand Swedish missions had precedence through the Church of Sweden Mission from 1876 on, the Swedish Holiness Mission from 1889 on, and the Scandinavian Independent Baptist Union from 1892 on. Between 1876 and 1902, thirty-six women were active in these South African missions. The history of all these women are explored on an individual basis in this, for the most part, empirical study. The primary goal of this dissertation is to find out who these women missionaries were, what they worked at, what positions they held toward the colonial/political situation in which they worked, and what positions they held in their respective missions. What meaning the women’s mission work had for the Zulu community in general, and for Zulu women in particular are dealt with, though the source material on it is limited. Nevertheless, through the source material from the Swedish female missionaries, Zulu women are given attention. The theoretical starting points come, above all, from historical research on women and gender and from historical mission research about missions as a part of the colonial period. Both married and unmarried women are defined as missionaries since both groups worked for the missions. In the Swedish Holiness Mission and in the Scandinavian Independent Baptist Union the first missionaries in Natal and Zululand were women. The Church of Sweden Mission was a Lutheran mission were women mostly worked in mission schools, homes for children and in a mission hospital. Women were subordinated in relationship to male missionaries. In the Swedish Holiness Mission and in the Scandinavian Independent Baptist Union women had more equal positions in their work. In these missions women could be responsible for mission stations, work as evangelists and preach the Gospel. The picture of the work of female missionaries has also been complicated and modified.