During the final months of the Great War, the loss of human life was not confined to the battlefields of Western Europe. The Spanish influenza virus was rapidly spreading around the globe¸ and would ultimately leave millions dead in its wake. Some American groups, both public and private, saw the pandemic as a blessing in disguise. They interpreted the pandemic as a sign that their work, whether religious, political, commercial, or health, was more vital to the world than ever before. Influenza reinforced their existing beliefs in the rightness and necessity of their causes, and used the pandemic as a call to increase their activities. American missionaries interpreted the pandemic and its spread as a sign of the backwardness of native peoples, and they argued that the United States and Americans had an increased duty after the War and pandemic to help foreign populations with education, sanitation, and religion. For American diplomats, the pandemic was a nuisance to their work of promoting and expanding American trade. Although it devastated societies, it was not destructive to international commerce. It did, though, provide an opportunity for Americans to teach foreign peoples about better health to protect them from future diseases, and to strengthen commercial ties with the rest of the world. The U.S. Government was greatly distracted with the war effort when the epidemic hit, and refused to take it seriously. They appropriated a small amount of money to the United States Public Health Service (PHS) to deal with the epidemic. This appropriation, although small, continued a trend of the federal government becoming more involved in health efforts at the expense of states, and was used as a justification for later federal health initiatives. The PHS actively used the influenza epidemic to push for their own expansion, arguing that their success in combatting influenza showed their merit, and used it to ensure that they would maintain their power and authority after the epidemic ceased. For all of these groups, the Spanish influenza epidemic provided an opportunity for their work, and reinforced their beliefs that their efforts were needed and vital to the nation and world.

This study deal with the process of implantation and consolidation of Educandário Americano Batista (EAB), between 1952 and 1972, Aracaju-SE. It intend to elucidate aspects of school administration and culture developed during the period of North American Baptist missionaries as principal of the institution. The analysis of the background biographics outline and missionary performance of Linnie Winona Treadwell (1952-1955); Maye Bell Taylor (1955-1959; 1960-1963); Freda Lee Trott (1959; 1964; 1966), and Clara Lynn Williams (1966-1972) made possible to understand the circulation and appropriation o the Baptist pedagogical devices. Some elements of the school culture such as festivities, rewards, graduation. Curriculum, teaching methodology, examination, the relationship between teachers and students, Teachers and Parents Associaton, discipline, punishment, were searched. The contribution of Dominique Julia, Roger Chartier, Viñao Frago, Pierre Bourdieu, Norbert Elias, Rosa Fátima de Souza e Ester Fraga Villas-Bôas Carvalho do Nascimento made it possible to arrive the theorical research. The sources were collected in public and private files: institutional documents such as records of proceedings, reports, registration books, etc, testemonies from former studentes, former teachers, former principal and former workers; printing-press and photos. The results os this investigation allow significant approach to pedagogical practices developed in EAB, from 1952 and 1972, that made difference during many generations of children and yougsters in Aracaju. / Este estudo trata do processo de implantação e consolidação do Educandário Americano Batista (EAB), entre 1952 e 1972, em Aracaju-SE. Pretende-se elucidar aspectos da gestão e da cultura escolares desenvolvidos no período de permanência das diferentes missionárias batistas norteamericanas como diretoras da instituição. A análise dos perfis biográficos de formação e de atuação missionária de Linnie Winona Treadwell (1952-1972); de Maye Bell Taylor (1955-1959; 1960-1963); de Freda Lee Trott (1959; 1964; 1966) e Clara Lynn Williams (1966-1972) possibilitou a compreensão da circulação e apropriação de dispositivos da pedagogia batista. As festas, premiações, formatura, currículo, metodologia de ensino, avaliação, relações entre professoras e alunos, Associação de Pais e Mestres, disciplina e castigos foram alguns dos elementos da cultura escolar investigados. As contribuições de Dominique Julia, Roger Chartier, Viñao Frago, Pierre Bourdieu, Norbert Elias, Rosa Fátima de Souza e Ester Fraga Villas Bôas Carvalho do Nascimento serviram de aportes teóricos da pesquisa. As fontes utilizadas foram coletadas em arquivos públicos e privados: documentos institucionais (atas, relatórios, livros de matrícula, entre outros); depoimentos de ex-alunos, ex-professoras, ex-diretores e exfuncionário; registros na imprensa e fotografias. Os resultados da investigação permitem aproximações significativas das práticas pedagógicas desenvolvidas no EAB, no período de 1952-1972, que marcaram várias gerações de crianças e jovens em Aracaju.

The Zionist type of churches under the African Independent Churches have proven to be a force to be reckoned with against the more organized ecclesiastical movements (in particular the Mission Churches). This can be seen in their emphasis around matters related to culture and its methods of healing. As s result this led to the migration of people from the mission churches to these churches and threatened their existence in Botswana. The mission churches have been experiencing the decline in their membership to the Zionist churches because of the lack of openness to the cultural and the value systems of Batswana in Botswana. Mission churches were left with an option of doing introspection and finally acknowledging their failures to contextualise their theology and Christianity among the people they serving. Mission churches ended up opening their doors to the needs of their members. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Church History)

The Zionist type of churches under the African Independent Churches have proven to be a force to be reckoned with against the more organized ecclesiastical movements (in particular the Mission Churches). This can be seen in their emphasis around matters related to culture and its methods of healing. As s result this led to the migration of people from the mission churches to these churches and threatened their existence in Botswana. The mission churches have been experiencing the decline in their membership to the Zionist churches because of the lack of openness to the cultural and the value systems of Batswana in Botswana. Mission churches were left with an option of doing introspection and finally acknowledging their failures to contextualise their theology and Christianity among the people they serving. Mission churches ended up opening their doors to the needs of their members. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Church History)