‘A Conflict of Ideologies: New Zealand Baptist Public Discourse on the Vietnam War.’

Abstract

n the 1960s and 70s New Zealand society was undergoing major social
changes. Long-held beliefs on almost all fronts were being challenged. A
new New Zealand was being birthed. In the midst of this period, New
Zealand went to war in Vietnam. The Vietnam War divided the nation.
Behind these opposing beliefs lay much deeper ideologies about how the
world is viewed and the future of New Zealand society. This essay
explores the New Zealand Baptist public response to the war and argues
that their response was trivial and vague because of a fear that a stronger
statement would have divided the denomination along broader ideological lines.