tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post735954290232767284..comments2024-03-29T15:04:20.549+11:00Comments on ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly: Mary Slessor - a religious feminist in Victorian NigeriaHelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-89963992440558936112011-12-02T16:42:52.291+11:002011-12-02T16:42:52.291+11:00Anon,
thank you so much for your comment. I can r...Anon,<br /><br />thank you so much for your comment. I can read the history books easily, but I cannot tell if a] the locals still feel strongly about Mary Slessor today or<br />b] if the locals feel she delivered a better quality of health care in the 19th century than do doctors in the 21st century.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-89847620433338298652011-12-02T12:23:03.975+11:002011-12-02T12:23:03.975+11:00I lived in Calabar all my life and its amazing how...I lived in Calabar all my life and its amazing how Mary Slessor impacted Calabar for many generations after she died. The cross on her grave can be seen from a distance - it is enormous. Its a pity that her committment to medical care has not been emulated by the current medical doctors and government of Nigeria that are corrupt to the extent that the medical directors of the University of Calabar teaching hospital use funds to buy cars and line their pockets rather than equip the hospital to help the poor who cannot afford private hospital careAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-53816728381190655762011-06-21T09:12:48.572+10:002011-06-21T09:12:48.572+10:00Anonymous
many thanks for that. I will do some re...Anonymous <br />many thanks for that. I will do some reading on the weekend.<br /><br />Were you suggesting that Mary Slessor was part of a trend in Victorian times? British women of a certain class, religiosity and marital status would have been looking to make an important contribution, especially in remote countries?<br /><br />I wonder if they knew of each other's work.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-63276497425018124252011-06-20T17:15:47.068+10:002011-06-20T17:15:47.068+10:00I wish to thank you for your post on Miss Slessor,...I wish to thank you for your post on Miss Slessor, a strong woman to be admired and esteemed. Here is a little list of other women of faith who changed both their world and the lives of those around them; amazing individuals all. <br /><br />Miss Carmichael in India working with orphans and child prostitution<br />Miss Hester Needham working with women in London and natives in Sumatra<br />Miss Gwen Elen Lewis working in the Cameroons and the Congo<br />Miss Irene Petrie working in Kashmir with women<br />Miss Mary Reed working with lepers in India<br />Miss Christina Forsyth who worked with the tribes of South AfricaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-20251653301012895392011-06-19T11:39:05.989+10:002011-06-19T11:39:05.989+10:00Janet
timing is everything :) There could be no b...Janet<br /><br />timing is everything :) There could be no better role model than Mary Slessor for modern teens who want to make a difference. I hope young women were particularly impressed.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-90125913234250033912011-06-19T01:32:54.102+10:002011-06-19T01:32:54.102+10:00I just returned from a camp for teens where we tra...I just returned from a camp for teens where we trained them to share the good news about Jesus Christ with children. Our missionary story this summer is about Mary Slessor called "Run, Ma, Run!" Thank you for posting pictures and more information about this remarkable woman! She truly cared for the spiritual and other needs of the people of Calabar and beyond.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11552854101771211375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-15854282393587383412011-06-10T08:16:18.748+10:002011-06-10T08:16:18.748+10:00Toyin
thank you. You are almost an eye witness to ...Toyin<br />thank you. You are almost an eye witness to history that is little told in European history books.<br /><br />And your evidence indicates that Nigerian history classes still recognise the importance of Mary Slessor's contribution to the Calabar region 130 years later.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-64414578345050028052011-06-10T05:02:54.914+10:002011-06-10T05:02:54.914+10:00I remember the story of this woman when I was in s...I remember the story of this woman when I was in secondary school in Nigeria; thanks for that history lesson.Toyin O.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08429675861306256504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-4577743094498316942011-06-09T10:36:36.600+10:002011-06-09T10:36:36.600+10:00Hermes and student
Isn't it fascinating that L...Hermes and student<br />Isn't it fascinating that Livingstone, Slessor and MacKillop might have been responding to similar impulses yet with very different outcomes. I love history!Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-46348042402299333062011-06-09T09:32:18.670+10:002011-06-09T09:32:18.670+10:00Interesting woman. I can see some connections betw...Interesting woman. I can see some connections between Mary Slessor and Mary Mackillop. Two women, same time in history, same urge to leave home and work with struggling communities. It also seems they were not fully appreciated by their respective churches.student of historynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-73054076510866358492011-06-08T17:07:58.478+10:002011-06-08T17:07:58.478+10:00Thank you Helen,
I've seen discussions where w...Thank you Helen,<br />I've seen discussions where we should not have intervened in countries like India and Africa. In so many ways I agree but would I defend widow burning, slavery etc - of course not. <br /><br />Livingston'e early life is remarkable:<br /><br />http://www.livingstoneonline.ucl.ac.uk/biog/dl/bio.html<br /><br />I try not to think how some young people waste their priviliged lives.Hermeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00968366076064269729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-61334336436745554572011-06-08T11:43:08.223+10:002011-06-08T11:43:08.223+10:00Hermes
there are remarkable similarities - Scottis...Hermes<br />there are remarkable similarities - Scottish, Victorian, sent to Africa as a missionary, having a strong interest in medicine, anti-slavery.<br /><br />And isn't it interesting that Livingstone was not a seen as a success as a missionary because his numbers were low. <br /><br />In particular I liked the line that his journal helped create the heroic myth of the dedicated missionary and anti-slavery campaigner, who seemed to validate Western colonial policies. <br /><br />Of course we know that post-colonial interpretations of Victorian involvement in Africa are changing all the time. Still, not too many people would have seen Mary Slessor as pursuing Western colonialisation of Africa.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-11831758966811430272011-06-07T19:59:20.194+10:002011-06-07T19:59:20.194+10:00Just a little sideways but another poor (boy) beco...Just a little sideways but another poor (boy) becomes missionary. Cambridge UP are re-issuing David Livingstone's books:<br /><br />http://cambridgelibrarycollection.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/dr-livingstone-i-presume/Hermeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00968366076064269729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-38439227395749733872011-06-07T17:35:36.337+10:002011-06-07T17:35:36.337+10:00Jane and Lance
spot on. She was heroic. She lived ...Jane and Lance<br />spot on. She was heroic. She lived in the same flimsy huts as her village friends, and ate the same food. She risked infections all the time, and did suffer terribly from malaria. This was no mamby pamby European Miss Bountiful, helping the poor peasants for one weekend in her life.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-70141680330580797682011-06-07T17:32:12.338+10:002011-06-07T17:32:12.338+10:00Hermes
agreed. One doesn't have to be anti-rel...Hermes<br />agreed. One doesn't have to be anti-religious to see evangelising in Africa as part of European colonialisation. <br /><br />Slessor was so busy with the education, health care and justice systems, she didn't have the time (or didn't see the need) for mass conversions of the locals.<br /><br />I suspect the church found her a bit weird and a bit radical. Thus the lack of recognition till relatively recently.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-88000877758609542542011-06-07T16:16:34.388+10:002011-06-07T16:16:34.388+10:00Hello Helen:
One cannot be but impressed by the un...Hello Helen:<br />One cannot be but impressed by the unselfishness of people like Mary Slessor who, for whatever reason, were, and are, prepared to devote the major part of their lives to a cause which promotes the well being of others and which, through their work, enhances and enriches the lives of complete strangers.Jane and Lance Hattatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16831890261259302647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-82481327620085462672011-06-07T15:48:17.988+10:002011-06-07T15:48:17.988+10:00Two points strike me. The sheer force of will that...Two points strike me. The sheer force of will that many poor people showed in educating themselves when all the odds were against them. <br /><br />I'm not religious but whatever (current) views - missionaries like Mary don't receive recognition for the good they undoubtedly did.Hermeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00968366076064269729noreply@blogger.com