ABSTRACT
Seldom has there been more rapid and effective indoctrination of a people than that achieved by the Wesleyan Methodist missionaries in Tonga. In the classes members were taught the basic Wesleyan doctrines; and to respect the authority of the Bible as the source of the doctrines. Yet, the fact remains that the Wesleyan missionaries spent much time and energy, particularly during the 1840's and 1850's, fighting Roman Catholicism. The theological validity and psychological soundness of the revival movement in Tonga have been questioned not only by outsiders, but by fellow workers as well, yet there is no doubt that the movement was a powerful factor in the conversion of many Tongans to Christianity. The contacts with the Europeans introduced new diseases to the islands which the Tongans were unable to cure, and which subsequently claimed many lives. In conclusion, it may be said that the triumph of the Wesleyan missionaries in the initial stage of their work was unquestioned.
