Shaping Godzone: Public Issues and Church Voices in New Zealand 1840-2000

Highlighting the influence of churches and Christians in the development of “Godzone”—Aotearoa, New Zealand—this groundbreaking book boldly claims that without missionary influence there would have been neither a Treaty of Waitangi nor a New Zealand as it is known today. The book chronicles the church’s position on a wide variety of issues from the 19th and 20th centuries, including alcohol restraint, voting rights for women, the use of Sunday, the exploitation of workers, the Vietnam War, a nuclear-free New Zealand, and the 1981 Springbok Tour. It demonstrates how the church shaped the nation, while contending that its influence has waned in the present day despite still playing a relevant role in public issues.