Abstract
The 500th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas, which coincided with the arrival of the Christian gospel, prompted the issuing of several films in which Christian mission features prominently: The Mission, Black Robe, and At Play in the Fields of the Lord. Rather than stereotyping either missionaries or indigenous peoples, the films offer complex and penetrating analyses that help to raise the level of popular perception and discussion of the missionary enterprise. They highlight the unique role missionaries have played in the interaction of Westerners with primal cultures. While widely criticized, missionaries may be American culture's best foil for exploring cross-cultural encounters.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.