The Language and Theology of the Samoan Methodist Hymnbook: Circumscribing Hymnal Translation from a Postcolonial Perspective

Abstract

This thesis offers a critical analysis of the biased and un-balanced theology in the lyrical-literary work that is the Samoan Methodist Hymn Book, and of the impact this biased theology has on the Christian community and the mission of the Methodist Church in Samoa in the 21st century. Despite the additions to the Samoan Methodist Hymnbook made in 1978 and 2013, the original 330 hymns translated and written by the English missionaries in the 19th century have remained completely untouched. This is problematic as the original hymns, which constitute the majority of Samoan Methodist hymnody, are used extensively in Christian worship today. These original hymns were written with a very specific purpose to serve a particular goal - namely, the conversion of the indigenous people of Samoa. Thus, the hymns are antiquated and outdated. The theology is heavily biased toward certain Christian doctrines and teachings of the Christian Church, whilst neglecting other important doctrines and teachings that are essential to the nourishment of Christian faith and of Christian living. The preference of the contemporary Church for its 'old' hymns serves to perpetuate a disparaging colonial-missionary attitude and continues to shape in a negative way both the Christian and cultural consciousness of Samoan society and the Samoan people's sense of identity in today's modern world.