Cargo Theology
Cargo theology is a term used to describe a belief system that is based on the idea that a person's spiritual development is closely linked to the physical prosperity and material abundance of a society. It is based on the belief that through hard work, economic success, and economic development, spiritual growth and advancement can be achieved. Supporters of cargo theology believe that prosperity is a blessing that comes from God and should be shared with those in need. They also emphasize the importance of giving back to the community by investing in infrastructure, education, and health services. Ultimately, cargo theology is rooted in the history of the development of cargo cults, which are religious or spiritual movements that developed in the Pacific Islands, particularly in Melanesia, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[footnoteRef:1] These movements emerged in response to the arrival of European colonizers and the trade and other economic interactions that accompanied colonization. [1: Trompf, Garry W., ed.Cargo cults and millenarian movements: Transoceanic comparisons of new religious movements. Vol. 29. Walter de Gruyter, 2012.]
In its early stages, it was believed that Westerners had magical powers that enabled them to obtain material wealth through the use of western rituals, supernatural forces, and certain objects. In the 1940s, cargo cults began to appear in New Guinea and the surrounding islands. These cults sought to recreate the conditions of Westerners by building runways and aircraft control towers, and performing rituals such as wearing Western-style clothing and carrying...
The belief spread to other islands in the South Pacific, particularly in Vanuatu. Its followers believed that by recreating the conditions of the Westerners, they would bring them wealth. However, these cults have largely died out in the
21st century, as the
missionaries and colonialists have left and traditional beliefs have regained prominence. The
legacy of cargo cult theology lives on, however, in the form of modern-day cargo cults, which continue to exist in certain Melanesian societies.
Cargo cults typically involve the belief that certain rituals or practices will lead to the arrival of valuable goods, or "cargo," from...
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Christianity, such as the belief in divine intervention, the concept of
salvation, and the expectation of receiving goods from a higher power.[footnoteRef:3] In addition, syncretic religions often mix beliefs from different cultures or religions, such as the belief in a higher power and the idea of divine intervention blended with the idea of cargo as a symbol of material goods. In many cases, the cargo cults and cargo theology also involve rituals and practices that combine elements of more technologically advanced societies, such as airplanes and
guns, with traditional Melanesian rituals and ceremonies. Overall, cargo cults and cargo theology are syncretic religious movements that combine elements of traditional Melanesian beliefs and practices with elements of Christianity, incorporating the belief in a higher power and divine intervention, as well as the expectation of receiving material goods from a higher power. [2: John, G. Strelan.Search for salvation: Studies in the history and theology of cargo cults. Vol. 13. Adelaide: Lutheran Publishing House, 1977.] [3: Lattas, Andrew.Cultures of secrecy: reinventing race in bush Kaliai cargo cults. Univ of Wisconsin Press,…
