Religion in
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
is predominantly
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, with traditional
animism
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
and
ancestor worship
The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
often occurring less openly as another layer underneath or more openly side by side Christianity. The courts, government, and general society uphold a constitutional right to freedom of speech, thought, and belief. There is no state religion, although the government openly partners with several Christian groups to provide services, and churches participate in local government bodies.
A large majority of Papua New Guineans identify themselves as members of a Christian church (96% in the 2000 census); however, many combine their Christian faith with traditional indigenous practices.
Other religions represented in the country include the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
,
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
and
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
.
Christianity
![Christmas pageant in a Port Moresby Anglican church mid-90s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Christmas_pageant_in_a_Port_Moresby_Anglican_church_mid-90s.jpg)
The 2000 census percentages were as follows:
*
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
(27.0%)
*
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea is a Protestant church denomination located in Papua New Guinea that professes the Lutheran branch of the Christian faith. The Church is incorporated by a 1991 Act of the Parliament of Papua New ...
(19.5%)
*
United Church in Papua New Guinea (11.5%)
*
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
(10.0%)
*
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement (8.6%)
*
Evangelical Alliance
The Evangelical Alliance (EA) is a national evangelical alliance, member of the World Evangelical Alliance. Founded in 1846, the activities of the Evangelical Alliance aim to promote evangelical Christian beliefs in government, media and societ ...
(PNG) (5.2%)
*
Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea
The Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea is a province of the Anglican Communion. It was created in 1977 when the Province of Papua New Guinea became independent from the Province of Queensland in the Church of England in Australia (officially ren ...
(3.2%)
*
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
(0.5%)
*
Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
(0.2%)
*Other Christian (10%)
*
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
(0.4%)
*
Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to:
Church groups
* When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16.
* The entire body of Ch ...
(0.4%)
Iglesia ni Cristo, a Philippine base Christian church had already set its foot in the country.
In 2010, emerging Christian denominations include the
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
and the
Members Church of God International
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
.
The
Papua New Guinea Council of Churches The Papua New Guinea Council of Churches (PNGCC) is a Christian ecumenical council in Papua New Guinea.
The Council has four major programs:
*Social Concerns Desk
*Women's Desk
*Theological programs
*Administration
Its members comprise:
*Angli ...
members are:
*Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea
*
Gutnius Lutheran Church
The Gutnius Lutheran Church, formerly the Wabag Lutheran Church, is a Lutheranism, Lutheran body existing in Papua New Guinea. ''Gutnius'' means "Good News (Christianity), Good News" in Tok Pisin. It was established by the Lutheran Church–Missou ...
(associated with the
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), also known as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 1.8 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States. The LC ...
)
*Union Baptist
*Roman Catholic Church
*Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea
*United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
*Salvation Army
There are also a number of
parachurch organization
Parachurch organizations are Christian faith-based organizations that work outside and across denominations to engage in social welfare and evangelism. Parachurch organizations seek to come alongside the church and specialize in things that indivi ...
s:
*The
Summer Institute of Linguistics
SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics) is an evangelical Christian non-profit organization whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to ex ...
is a missionary institution drawing its support from conservative evangelical Protestant churches in the United States and to a lesser extent Australia; it translates the Bible into local languages and conducts extensive linguistic research.
*
Young Women's Christian Association
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
.
Several Christian professional educational institutions have been opened in the country, such as
Christian Leaders' Training College
The Christian Leaders' Training College of Papua New Guinea (CLTC) is an interdenominational Bible college. It was established in 1964 and offers theological study at up to Masters level.
Location
The college is located near the township of Banz ...
,
Divine Word University
Divine Word University is a national Catholic university in Papua New Guinea. It is one of the newest tertiary institutions in the country. It was established as a university by an Act of Parliament in 1996. The university is ecumenical and coedu ...
,
Pacific Adventist University
Pacific Adventist University (PAU) is a tertiary institution located 21 kilometres (30 minutes) outside Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and operated by the South Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Both the faculty and the stude ...
and
Sonoma Adventist College
Sonoma Adventist College is a co-educational tertiary institution situated in Kokopo in Papua New Guinea. It is operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is accredited by the Adventist Accrediting Association.
It is a part of the Seventh- ...
.
Traditional religions
![New Britain- Duk-Duk dancers, Gazelle Peninsula](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/New_Britain-_Duk-Duk_dancers%2C_Gazelle_Peninsula.jpg)
Traditional
ethnic religion
In religious studies, an ethnic religion is a religion or belief associated with a particular ethnic group. Ethnic religions are often distinguished from universal religions, such as Christianity or Islam, in which gaining converts is a pri ...
s are often
animist
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
and many have elements of
ancestor worship
The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
, as well as tamam witches.
Religious syncretism is high, with many citizens combining their Christian faith with some traditional indigenous religious practices.
New religious movements
Cargo cults
Some
cargo cults
A cargo cult is an indigenist millenarian belief system, in which adherents perform rituals which they believe will cause a more technologically advanced society to deliver goods.
Causes, beliefs, and practices
Cargo cults are marked by a ...
—the beliefs in a lost "
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...
", which would be re-established when the dead ancestors returned—sprang up in Papua New Guinea during the 20th century, including the Taro Cult and the events known as the
Vailala Madness
The Vailala Madness was a social movement in the Papuan Gulf, in the Territory of Papua, beginning in the later part of 1919 and diminishing after 1922. It is generally accepted as the first well-documented cargo cult, a class of millenarian reli ...
in the
Gulf of Papua
The Gulf of Papua is located in the southern coast region of New Guinea. It has a total surface area of .
Geography
Some of New Guinea's largest rivers, such as the Fly River, Turama River, Kikori River, Purari River, and Wawoi River flow i ...
, which, by the late 1920s, was no longer active.
Makasol
The Makasol (or "Wind Nation"), also known as Paliau movement, is
neo-traditional Millenarianist counter-cultural religious and social movement in Papua New Guinea. Its base is in the
Manus Province
Manus Province is the smallest province in Papua New Guinea in terms of both land area and population, with a land area of , but with more than of water, and the total population is 60,485 (2011 census). The provincial town of Manus is Lorengau.
...
, a motherland of its founder, the prophet Paliau Maloat (d. 1991). He had served in the colonial police force, but became an opposition political activist, organized a movement, and had been arrested twice by the colonial authority. Later he also opposed the independent Papua governing elite.
The faith of the movement focuses on a new Holy Trinity—Wing, Wang and Wong. The new counter-cultural project is based on native values: local production for use; indigenous medical practices; new versions of traditional social institutions ("men's houses" and replacing the structure of local level governments).
Similar movements
There are similar
indigenist
Indigenism can refer to several different ideologies that seek to promote the interests of indigenous peoples. The term is used differently by various scholars and activists, and can be used purely descriptively or carry political connotations.
D ...
movements to the Makasol. An example is the movement led by the remarkable "prophet" Yali in the
Rai Coast District
Rai Coast District is a district in the southeast of Madang Province in Papua New Guinea. It is one of the six districts that of the Madang Province. The District has four local level government (LLG) areas namely; Astrolabe Bay, Nahu Rawa, (Nanki ...
of northern Papua.
Baháʼí Faith
The
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
in Papua New Guinea began after 1916 with a mention by
`Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, that Baháʼís should take the religion there.
The first Baháʼís moved (referred to as "
Baháʼí pioneering") to Papua New Guinea in 1954.
With local converts the first Baháʼí
Local Spiritual Assembly
Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
was elected in 1958.
The first National Spiritual Assembly was then elected in 1969.
According to the census of 2000, the number of Baháʼís does not exceed 21,000.
But the
Association of Religion Data Archives The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. One of the primary goals of the archive is to democratize access to academic information on religion by making th ...
(relying on ''
World Christian Encyclopedia
''World Christian Encyclopedia'' is a reference work, with its third edition published by Edinburgh University Press in November 2019. The ''WCE'' is known for providing membership statistics for major world religions and Christian denominations ...
'') estimated three times more Baháʼís at 60,000 or 0.9% of the nation in 2005
Either way it is the largest minority religion in Papua New Guinea, albeit a small one. Among its more well known members are the late Margaret Elias and the late Sirus Naraqi.
Margaret Elias was the daughter of the first Papua New Guinean woman on the national assembly, and the country's first woman lawyer (in the 1970s). She attended the 1995
Fourth World Conference on Women
The Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace was the name given for a conference convened by the United Nations during 4–15 September 1995 in Beijing, China.
At this conference, governments from around the ...
and was given an award in 1995 and 2002 for her many years in the public service, particularly in the national government. She went on to support various initiatives for education.
Sirus Naraqi lived and worked in Papua New Guinea from 1977 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1998, doing clinical medical work as well as teaching at the
University of Papua New Guinea
The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is a university located in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea. It was established by ordinance of the Australian administration in 1965. This followed the Currie Commission which had enquired ...
, where he was given an award in 1999 and had served as a member of the
Continental Board of Counsellors in Australasia since 1985.
Islam
Islam in Papua New Guinea
Islam in Papua New Guinea is a minority religion in the predominantly Christian country, with around 10,000 followers as of 2021. Papuan Muslims are largely concentrated Port Moresby and villages situated in the Highlands. Due to secular nature o ...
counts for more than 5,000 followers, (most of whom are
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
) mainly as a result of a recent spike in conversions. Despite being a dominant religion in neighbouring
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, adherents of
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
make up a small segment of the population.
Hinduism
According to
ARDA
Arda or ARDA may refer to:
Places
*Arda (Maritsa), a river in Bulgaria and Greece
* Arda (Italy), a river in Italy
*Arda (Douro), a river in Portugal
* Arda, Bulgaria, a village in southern Bulgaria
* Arda, County Fermanagh, a townland in County ...
, PNG had (1,620) 0.02% Hindus in 2015, up from 911 (0.01%) in 2010.
Religious freedom
The
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
of Papua New Guinea establishes freedom of religion and religious practice, provided that it does not infringe on the rights of others or of the public interest. There is no state religion, although the preamble to the constitution mentions "the Christian principles" the country is founded upon. Parliament sessions and most official government functions open and close with Christian prayer. Since 2016, the government has pursued programs to increase the partnership between churches and the state, including subsidies to churches and the establishment of church councils to assist in local governance.
International Religious Freedom Report 2017 § Papua New Guinea
'US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
Religious groups are required to register the government in order to hold property and obtain tax-exempt status. Foreign missionaries are allowed into the country on special work visas with lower fees than other visa categories.
Churches operate roughly half of the educational and medical institutions in the country, and receive government subsidies to provide these services. Public schools provide one hour of non-compulsory religious education per week; in practice, few students opt out of these lessons. Government officials have discussed plans to make religious education compulsory, but as of the end of 2017, these were not implemented.
Religious leaders have stated that religious groups are generally able to practice their religion without interference. However, there have been multiple incidences of Muslim refugees and asylum seekers being the targets of stabbings. Other Muslim residents of Papua New Guinea have not faced such attacks.
In the past, the Papuan government were opposed towards formally recognizing Islam and its institutions. However, the government has reportedly threatened to ban Islam to the present day. There are reports of native Muslims experiencing discrimination and even violence from the Christian majority.
References
Further reading
* Aerts, Theo (ed.): ''The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea. 333 Missionary Lives Lost During World War II'', University of Papua New Guinea Press, Port Moresby 1994, - - -
* Aerts, Theo: ''Traditional Religion in Melanesia'', University Press of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby 1998. 189 pp. , ,
* Aerts, Theo: ''Christianity in Melanesia'', University Press of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby 1998. 256 pp., ,
* Ahrens, Theodor: ''Christian Syncretism: A Study from the Southern Madang District of P.N.G.'' Catalyst. 1974; 4(1): 3-40.
* Ahrens, Theodor: ''Concepts of Power in a Melanesian and Biblical Perspective''.
Missiology
Missiology is the academic study of the Christian mission history and methodology, which began to be developed as an academic discipline in the 19th century.
History
Missiology as an academic discipline appeared only in the 19th century. It was ...
. 1977; 5: 141–173.
* Ahrens, Theodor: ''Melanesische "Cargo"-Kulte'. In: Münzel, Mark, Editor: ''Neuguinea: Nutzung und Deutung der Umwelt''. Frankfurt am Main: Museum für Völkerkunde; 1987: 143-160, 399-400.
* Ahrens, Theodor: ''Der neue Mensch im kolonialen Zweilicht. Studien zum religiösen Wandel in Ozeanien''. (Hamburger Theologische Studien 5). Lit Verlag: Muenster (Germany) 1993, .
* Ahrens, Theodor: ''Unterwegs zur verlorenen Heimat. Studien zur Identitätsproblematik in Melanesien'', Verlag der Ev.-Luth. Mission: Erlangen 1986.
* Alt, Josef: ''The Contribution of Arnold Janssen to the SVD Mission in New Guinea''. In: ''Divine Word Missionaries in Papua New Guinea, 1896–1996. Festschrift''. Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1996, , S. 11–40. - also in: ''Verbum SVD''. 37:1-2 (1996), S. 11–40.
* Alt, Josef(ed.): ''Arnold Janssen SVD, Letters to New Guinea and Australia''. (Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 77) Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 2001, .
* Barker, John (ed.): ''Christianity in Oceania, Ethnographic Perspectives'', Lanham University Press of America 1990.
* Barker, John: ''Secondary Conversion and the Anthropology of Christianity in Melanesia'', in: ''Archives de sciences sociales des Religions'' 157 (janvier-mars 2012), p. 67-87.
* Bartle, Neville: ''Death, Witchcraft and the Spirit World in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea''. Point No. 29, Melanesian Institute: Goroka, PNG 2005. .
* Böhm, Karl: ''The life of some island people of New Guinea: a missionary's observations of the Volcanic Islands of Manam, Boesa, Biem, and Ubrub'', Introduction by Nancy Lutkehaus, (Collectanea Instituti Anthropos Vol. 29), Dietrich Reimer Verlag: Berlin 1983,
* Breward, Ian: ''A History of the Churches in Australasia'', (The Oxford History of Christian Churches), Oxford University Press, Oxford 2001, Reprinted 2008, 474 pp., .
* Coleman, Simon: ''Christianities in Oceania: Historical Genealogies and Anthropological Insularities'', in: ''Archives de sciences sociales des Religions'' 157 (janvier-mars 2012), p. 12-38.
* Ernst, Manfred: ''Changing Christianity in Oceania: A Regional Overview'', in: ''Archives de sciences sociales des Religions'' 157 (janvier-mars 2012), p. 29-45.
* Ernst, Manfred: ''Globalization and the Re-Shaping of Christianity in the Pacific Islands'', Pacific Theological College, Suva (Fiji) 2006.
* Ernst, Manfred: ''Winds of Change: Rapidly Growing Religious Groups in the Pacific Islands'', Pacific Conference of Churches: Suva 1994.
*
Lawrence, Peter: ''Road Belong Cargo. A Study of the Cargo Movement in the Southern Madang District, New Guinea'', Melbourne University Press: Melbourne 1964.
* Flannery,Wendy: ''All Prophets: Revival Movements in the Catholic and Lutheran Churches in the Highlands''. In: Catalyst 10 (1980) 229-257.
* Flannery, Wendy (ed.): ''Religious Movements in Melanesia'', vol I, II III, (Point 2,3,4), Melanesian Institute Goroka, 1983-1984.
* Flannery, Wendy: ''Symbol and Myth in Melanesian Cultures''. In: Missiology 7 (1979) 435-449.
* Garrett, John: ''Footsteps in the Sea: Christianity in Oceania to World War II'', Institute of Pacific Studies: Suva 1992.
* Garrett, John: ''Where Nets Were Cast: Christianity in Oceania Since World War II'', Institute of Pacific Studies , University of the South Pacific in association with the World Council of Churches, Suva and Geneva 1997.
* Gewertz, D. and F. Errington: ''On PepsiCo and piety in Papua New Guinea modernity'', in ''American Ethnologist'' 23, p. 476-493.
* Gibbs, Phil: ''Papua New Guinea'', in M. Ernst (ed.), ''Globalization and the Re-Shaping of Christianity in the Pacific Islands'', Suva 2006, p. 81-158.
* Gibbs, Phil: ''Religion and Politics in Papua New Guinea (1997-2000)'', (Point 24), Melanesian Institute: Goroka 2001.
* Koch-Schmid, Christin (ed.): ''Expecting the Day of the Wrath: Versions of the Millennium in Papua New Guinea'', National Research Institute: Port Moresby 1999.
*
Langmore, Diane: ''Missionary Lives: Papua, 1874-1914'', (Pacific Islands Monograph Series, No. 6), University of Hawaii Press: Honolulu 1989.
* Laracy, Hugh: ''Marists and Melanesians. A History of Catholic Missions in the Salomon Islands'', Australian National University Press: Canberra 1976,
* Lawrence, Peter and
Mervyn J. Meggitt
Mervyn John Meggitt (20 August 1924 – 13 November 2004 New York State) was an Australian anthropologist and one of the pioneering researchers of highland Papua New Guinea and of Indigenous Australian cultures.
Born in Warwick, Queensland and ...
(eds.): ''God, Ghosts and Men in Melanesia'', Oxford University Press: Melbourne 1965.
* Loeliger,Carl and Garry Trompf (eds.): ''New Religious Movements in Melanesia'', University of Papua New Guinea Press: Port Moresby 1985.
* MacDonald, Mary N.: ''Religions of Melanesia: A Bibliographic Survey - By Garry W. Trompf'', in: ''Religious Studies Review'' 33:2 (2007) 167f.,
* Mantovani, Ennio (ed.): ''An Introduction to Melanesian Religions'', (Point, 6), The Melanesian Institute: Goroka 1984.
* Mantovani, Ennio: ''Mission: Collision or Dialogical Encounter? A Chronicle of St. Paul's Parish, Yobai, Papua New Guinea'', (Studia Instituti Missiologici Societas Verbi Divini Nr. 95), Steyler Verlag: Nettetal (Germany) 2011,
* Mückler, Hermann: ''Mission in Ozeanien''. Wien 2010: Facultas. 328 pp,
* Narakobi, Bernard C.: ''The Melanesian Way'', Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies: Port Moresby 1983.
* Pech, Rufus: ''The Acts of the Apostles in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands'', in: ''An Introduction to Ministry in Melanesia'', Edited by Brian Schwarz, (point Series No. 7), Melanesian Institute: Goroka 1985, 17-71.
* Renck, Guenther: ''Contextualization of Christianity and Christianization of Language. A Case Study from the Highlands of New Guinea'', Verlag der Ev-Luth. Mission: Erlangen 1989.
*
Robbins, Joel: ''Becoming sinners. Christianity and moral torment in a Papua New Guinea society'', University of California, Berkeley , Los Angeles 2004.
* Sack, Peter, ed.: ''German New Guinea: A Bibliography'', Canberra ACT: Australian National University Press, 1980,
* Steffen, Paul B.: ''Centres of Formation and Evangelizing Ministry. Pastoral Institutes in Oceania and Africa''. Studia Missiologici Societatis Verbi Divini 102, Franz Schmitt Verlag: Siegburg, Germany 2014, xx + 245 pp.,
* Steffen, Paul B.: ''From Church to Mission. Assessment and Perspectives of the Catholic Church in Mainland New Guinea after Its First Hundred Years''. In: Steyler Missionswissenschaftliche Institut (ed.), ''Divine Word Missionaries in Papua New Guinea, 1896–1996, Festschrift''. Steyler Verl., Nettetal 1996, 231-258, . - ibidem in: Verbum SVD 37:1-2 (1996) 231-258
* Steffen, Paul B.: ''LIMBROCK, Eberhard SVD (1859-1931), Missionspionier u. Missionsgründer''. In: ''Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon''. (BBKL) 33 (2012), , pp. 774–784.
* Steffen, Paul: ''Missionsbeginn in Neuguinea. Die Anfänge der Rheinischen, Neuendettelsauer u. Steyler Missionsarbeit in Neuguinea''. (Studia Instituti Missiologici S.V.D. - 61) Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1995, .
* Strelan, John G.: ''Search for Salvation. Studies in the History and Theology of Cargo Movements'', Lutheran Publishing House: Adelaide 1977.
* Sullivan, Nancy: ''God's Brideprice: Laisez faire Religion, and the Fear of Being Left Behind in Papua New Guinea'', in: ''Contemporary PNG Studies: DWU Research Journal'', 6 (2007), p. 63-91.
* Threlfall, Neville: ''One Hundred Years in the Islands. The Methodist/United Church in the New Guinea Islands Region 1875-1975'', The United Church (New Guinea Islands Region), Toksave na Buk dipatmen: Rabaul 1975,
* Trompf, Garry W. (ed.): ''The Gospel is Not Western: Black Theologies from the Southwest Pacific'', Orbis Books: New York 1987,
* Trompf, Garry W.: ''Melanesian Religion'', Cambridge University Press: Cambridge 1991,
* Wagner, Herwig - Hermann Reiner (eds.): ''The Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea. The First Hundred Years 1886-1986'', second printing, Lutheran Publishing House: Adelaide (Australia) 1987, 677 pp.,
* Wagner, Herwig - Gernot Fugmann - Hermann Janssen (eds.): ''Papua Neuguinea. Geschichte und Kirche. Ein ökumenisches Handbuch'', Verl. der Ev.Luth. Mission: Erlangen, 1989, 464 pp. + 16 Bildseiten,
*
Waiko, John Dademo: ''A Short History of Papua New Guinea'', Oxford University Press: Melbourne (Australia) 1993, 275 pp.,
* Wesemann, Heiner: ''Papua Neuguinea. Nuigini. Steinzeit-Kulturen auf dem Weg ins 20. Jahrhundert''. Dumont Buchverlag: Köln 1985.
* Wetherell, David: ''Reluctant Mission: The Anglican Church in Papua New Guinea'', University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia 1977.
* Whitehouse, Harvey: ''From Mission to Movement: The Impact of Christianity on Patterns of Political Association in Papua New Guinea'', in: ''Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute'' 4-1 (1998), p. 43-63.
*
Worsley, Peter
Peter Maurice Worsley (6 May 1924 – 15 March 2013) was a noted British sociologist and social anthropologist. He was a major figure in both anthropology and sociology, and is noted for introducing the term ''Third World'' into English. ...
: ''The Trumpet Shall Sound: A Study of "Cargo" Cults in Melanesia'', Schocken Books: New York 1968.
External links
Islamic Society of Papua New GuineaAnglican history in Papua New Guinea- primary texts
* Jebens reports on his comparative anthropolical study of two forms of Christianity, i.e. Roman Catholics and Seventh-day Adventists, in the PNG village of Pairundu.
{{Oceania topic, Religion in
Religion in the British Empire