Vanuatu

The Pacific island Republic of Vanuatu, formerly known by the colonial name of New Hebrides until it was changed by the government in 1980, is an archipelago of 80 islands with a majority Christian population. Nearly all Vanuatuans are Melanesian, with small communities of Europeans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders. While nearly all residents of the archipelago hold onto strong beliefs regarding ancestral spirits, and syncretic practices are widely evident in the country, more than 80% of the populace report adherence to one form of Christianity or another: 31% Presbyterian, 13% Roman Catholic, 13% Anglican, 11% Seventh-Day Adventist, and an additional 14% claimed by the Church of Christ, the Apostolic Church, the Assemblies of God, and other Protestant denominations. Members of the Baha'i Faith, along with Jehovah's Witnesses, members of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, and some Buddhists, account for 10% of the population. Another 6% of Vanuatuans belong to the indigenous John Frum movement, a cargo cult begun in the late 1930s.

John Frum, thought by some to be based on a World War II American serviceman, is a messianic figure who is believed to have spread the doctrines of the movement. Those doctrines revolve around wealth; believers hold that for native Melanesians to gain wealth, they must reject all European symbols and customs and return to the traditional way [Page 1342]of life of the indigenous people. The followers, who now have their own political party, opposed the creation of independent Vanuatu, which would favor Western modernity and Christianity.

Though the Spanish were the first to come across the archipelago during the early-17th-century explorations, in the 1880s both Great Britain and France claimed parts of the country as their own. The result was the creation, in 1906, of a unique, “condominium” colony, where the two European powers shared political control. Catholic and Protestant missionaries arrived in the area in the 19th century, and religion would reaffirm the divisions already entrenched by the colonial powers; the Catholic communities were aligned with the French government, while the Anglophones, governed by Great Britain, were nearly uniformly Protestant. The division played out when the issue of independence was raised in 1980, when the two groups backed different political parties, and those pushing for independence were largely from the British camp. Politics and religion have been, and continue to be, largely bound together, and the first political party of the island was founded by Father Walter Lini, an Anglican priest who would serve as the first prime minister of independent Vanuatu.

At the beginning of the 21st century, much of the government is still made up of young pastors and leaders of Christian communities, but much of the daily lives of communities are still administered by local chiefs and elders. During independence, the government overtly looked to Christianity, along with the shared cultural experience of the islanders, to forge a national identity. The preamble of the Vanuatu constitution claims commitment to “traditional Melanesian values, faith in God, and Christian principles.” The Ministry of Internal Affairs, along with the Vanuatu Christian Council, provides the means for the government to interact with the religious communities and provide funding for Christian schools (though not for non-Christian religious instruction). Government schools also set aside time for religious education, which is implemented by local churches.

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