One hundred years ago Bishop Colenso was excommunicated because of his liberal critical views on the inspiration and authority of the Bible. But while in South Africa he worked strenuously for social and political reform. 2003 will mark the revocation of his excommunication in a ceremony in South Africa and this book commemorates that event. It is divided into sections on African Culture, Bible, Theology and Social History and contains contribution from English, Dutch and South African scholars. It will appeal not only to the biblical scholar and Christian theologian but also to anyone interested in the 19th century conflict of theology and reason and the struggle against colonial exploitation.

"In 1979 A South African bibliography to the year 1925 (SABIB), compiled under the auspices of the South AFrican Library, was published in four volumes by Mansell of London. It was essentially a revision and continuation of Sidney Mendelssohn's South African bibliography (London, 1910), which recorded literature about South Africa from earliest times to 1909, regardless of place of publication. For the new bibliography the period was extended to 1925, but for practical reasons the scope was limited to the geographical area south of the Limpopo, and certain material, for example books in African languages, sheet music, maps and periodicals, was excluded."--Preface to Supplement.

Many were filled with hopes as high as the stars as they crossed the Indian Ocean, making their way from India to Durban in southern Africa in the late 1800s. Yet, realising the dream of a better life and returning home triumphant was not to be for many. Thousands returned with less than they had started out with, only to find that home was no longer the place they had left. The travellers, too, had changed irrevocably: caste had been transgressed, relatives had died and spaces for reintegration had closed up as colonialism tightened its grip. Home for these wandering exiles was no more.