Abstract:
The subject discussed in this thesis is the influence of Christianity upon the Maori. Owing to the complexity which would otherwise seem unavoidable, it has been deemed advisable to separate the work into two parts. The first part (deals with the social, political and religious state
of the Maori on the arrival of the missionaries and continues with an account of missionary and Church enterprise in New
Zealand until the close of the Maori Wars. The second part deals solely with the influence of Christianity upon the Maoris, and consists of a discussion of the rise and fall of its power over their minds and actions. Owing, in part, to considerations of space, but chiefly to lack of sufficient
reliable information - to form an adequate basis of discussion, the question has only been treated in detail to the close of the
Maori Wars, or, roughly, to the end of the nineteenth century. The final chapter has, however, been devoted to a suggested
solution of the problem, while in two other chapters an attempt has been made to bring the subject up to date without sacrificing anything to accuracy.
