Cultivating Christian civil society: fundamentalist Christianity, politics and governance in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

"I begin this discussion with a general introduction to Christianity in Papua New Guinea, particularly as it relates to broad issues of governance, electoral discourse and demands for reform. Then, as further background, I present my observations of the conduct of the most recent Papua New Guinea elections, taken largely from my situation in the Southern Highlands electorate of Kagua-Erave. The course of the election and the types of election messages people were presented with, together with their responses, offer considerable insight into their opinions of government and their approach to the question of governance. While this Discussion Paper canvasses a range of Christian approaches to electoral politics and the 2007 national election, my focus is especially on the fundamentalist Christian groups. These groups are increasing in influence throughout Papua New Guinea and contribute to a profound disenchantment with electoral politics and politics more generally, which militates against efforts to strengthen community demands for better governance ..." - page 2AusAI