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Have you ever reread a cherished story from childhood only to find your sense of nostalgia replaced by cringe?  In this episode, we reflect on The Pineapple Story, a seemingly innocent book that, for us, represents a mashup of influences that colored our upbringing and sense of the world.

The Pineapple Story is just one example of a missionary story that at first glance may seem to be an inspirational story of faith and personal growth, but when examined more closely, reveals a colonialist, xenophobic mindset and political agenda. We use  research and analytical tools learned in college to question its assumptions and challenge its narratives.

Links we (should have) mentioned: 

• The Pineapple Story 
• Western New Guinea (Wikipedia)
• Peek behind the IBLP curtain  in the documentary, Shiny Happy People, that we reviewed last year here and here. 
• The Vatican repudiates 'Doctrine of Discovery,' which was used to justify colonialism (NPR)
• Missions: Is it Love or Colonization? (Religion News Service) 
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

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