Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, which it shares with the Indonesian Papua. When PNG gained independence in 1975, its constitution proclaimed Christianity as the national religion, a move that connected the emerging nation to the global community of Christians and acknowledged an important shift in local worldviews. While the constitution served to highlight the historical importance of mission contact, at the beginning of the 21st century, religion in PNG is far from homogeneous. In some parts of the country, Christianity resembles overseas forms; in others, it is more aptly described as an indigenous religion, and conversion has not always involved a complete rejection of pre-Christian socioreligious practices. Coupled with the diversity of PNG cultures, this has ...