
Early Capitalism in Colonial Missions
Moravian Household Economies in the Global Eighteenth Century
Christina Petterson(Author)
Bloomsbury Academic (Publisher)
Published on 24. July 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
232 pages
978-1-350-32524-1 (ISBN)
Description
Drawing on unpublished archival material, this volume compares Moravian economic practice in three different mission-settings, to demonstrate how Moravian practices evolved during the 18th century as part of a globalizing world and economy. Delivering in-depth analysis of the far-reaching and deep seated effects of missionary activity on indigenous communities and social relations, it explores how different economic contexts had an impact on the missionaries' relations with Indigenous and slave-populations in empire.
Petterson provides an insight how the missionaries worked, lived among various non-European peoples, and how they organised themselves and their surroundings at a time of changing identities and socio economic change. Analysing how missionary practice developed over this period, it also demonstrates how the Moravian leadership's priorities and how this affected attitudes to non-European peoples on the ground. Standing outside of national and imperial boundaries, and ambivalent about the political notion of imperialism as well as colonisation itself, Moravian missionaries nonetheless functioned in parallel with colonial structures, and were part of a broadly culturally colonial mission. So, even on the outskirts of imperial organisation, they were often a crucial part of colonial practice and took part in normalising capitalist relations in many-but not all-settings, as this book demonstrates.
Petterson provides an insight how the missionaries worked, lived among various non-European peoples, and how they organised themselves and their surroundings at a time of changing identities and socio economic change. Analysing how missionary practice developed over this period, it also demonstrates how the Moravian leadership's priorities and how this affected attitudes to non-European peoples on the ground. Standing outside of national and imperial boundaries, and ambivalent about the political notion of imperialism as well as colonisation itself, Moravian missionaries nonetheless functioned in parallel with colonial structures, and were part of a broadly culturally colonial mission. So, even on the outskirts of imperial organisation, they were often a crucial part of colonial practice and took part in normalising capitalist relations in many-but not all-settings, as this book demonstrates.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
20 bw illus
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 158 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
340 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-32524-1 (9781350325241)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Christina Petterson
Early Capitalism in Colonial Missions
Moravian Household Economies in the Global Eighteenth Century
E-Book
12/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€31.99
Available for download

Christina Petterson
Early Capitalism in Colonial Missions
Moravian Household Economies in the Global Eighteenth Century
E-Book
12/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€31.99
Available for download
Person
Christina Petterson is Honorary Research Fellow at University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Australian National University, Australia. She has published widely on the role of Christianity in social history, both in ancient times, in colonialism and in 18th-century Europe.
Author
University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Australian National University, Australia.
Content
1. The Moravian Brethren
Part I: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
2. Moravians and Money
3. Change in Leadership and Change in Organisation: The Case of Bethlehem's General Economy
New-Herrnhut in St. Thomas, the West Indies
4. Time of transition and change in mission: 1760-1764 in the Moravian Unity
5.."Plantation Disposition": The "Outer"Sphere and the Accumulation of Riches in the Danish West Indies
Part II: New-Herrnhut, Greenland
6. Greenland and Colonial Authorities
7. Developing the "Inner Sphere"
Conclusion: Moravians and Capitalism
Bibliography
Index
Part I: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
2. Moravians and Money
3. Change in Leadership and Change in Organisation: The Case of Bethlehem's General Economy
New-Herrnhut in St. Thomas, the West Indies
4. Time of transition and change in mission: 1760-1764 in the Moravian Unity
5.."Plantation Disposition": The "Outer"Sphere and the Accumulation of Riches in the Danish West Indies
Part II: New-Herrnhut, Greenland
6. Greenland and Colonial Authorities
7. Developing the "Inner Sphere"
Conclusion: Moravians and Capitalism
Bibliography
Index