Keynote 101: Richard P. Howard Lecture (7:00 p.m., Thursday, September 24)

Title: Nuclear Colonialism and the Ambivalent Church: Responses to French Pacific Nuclear Weapons Testing by International Leaders of the Community of Christ/RLDS Church by Matthew Breay Bolton

Abstract: The Community of Christ, a denomination formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), is a significant presence in Māòhi Nui/French Polynesia, where members are locally known as Te Mau Sanito (The Saints). International leaders of the Community of Christ advocate for nuclear disarmament and call on members to be dedicated to the pursuit of peace. However, the RLDS/Community of Christ’s global leadership have rarely been outspoken advocates for the rights of Māòhi people harmed by French colonial policy, including radioactive fallout from the 193 nuclear detonations at Moruora and Fangataufa atolls between 1966 and 1996. During the preparations for the nuclear test program, white RLDS missionaries were preoccupied with the perceived cultural flaws of Māòhi people, seeing French authorities as partners in a mission of civilizational uplift. Once the test program began, white missionaries acknowledged responsibility to mitigate resulting social disruptions, but did not offer political resistance. As the movement for a Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific became a major influence in Oceania’s politics, the RLDS church did take steps to encourage the empowerment of Māòhi ministers. Quiet, indirect expressions of concern about the French nuclear program then began to emerge in global church policymaking forums. Māòhi leaders are now increasingly influential in the denomination. However, even today, international leaders of the Community of Christ have been slow to reckon publicly with the impact of the humanitarian, environmental and spiritual impacts of nuclear legacies in Māòhi Nui/French Polynesia.

Biographical Sketch: Dr. Matthew Breay Bolton is professor of political science at Pace University, New York City, where he teaches international relations and environmental politics; he directs the coastal and ocean studies program. Bolton was part of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) team awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. He has worked for more than 20 years with UN and NGO efforts addressing the environmental impacts of weapons. His field research has highlighted the concerns of communities affected by nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Māòhi Nui/French Polynesia, Fiji and Cook Islands. Bolton has authored or co-edited six books, including From Militarized Mission to Global Solidarity: The Life and Work of Missionary and Humanitarian Charles D. Neff (published by John Whitmer Books), as well as Political Minefields and Imagining Disarmament.