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Religious Imperialism: A Historical and Contemporary Analysis
Introduction:
Have you ever considered the intertwined relationship between religion and power? Throughout history, religious beliefs have been wielded as tools of political control, social subjugation, and territorial expansion. This phenomenon, known as religious imperialism, transcends simple missionary work; it involves the systematic imposition of religious beliefs and practices upon populations, often resulting in cultural destruction, oppression, and violence. This comprehensive exploration delves into the multifaceted nature of religious imperialism, examining its historical roots, its diverse manifestations, and its ongoing impact on global societies. We'll analyze case studies, explore the ethical dilemmas involved, and consider the lasting consequences of this complex and controversial dynamic. Prepare to gain a deeper understanding of a force that has shaped civilizations and continues to influence geopolitical landscapes today.
I. Defining Religious Imperialism: Beyond Missionary Zeal
The term "religious imperialism" often evokes images of zealous missionaries spreading the gospel. However, it encompasses far more than enthusiastic proselytizing. True religious imperialism involves the active use of religious authority and power to achieve political, economic, or social dominance over other groups. This might include:
Forced conversions: Coercion and violence to compel individuals to renounce their existing beliefs and adopt a new faith.
Cultural suppression: The systematic eradication or marginalization of indigenous religious practices, languages, and traditions.
Political justification: The use of religious doctrine to legitimize colonial expansion, conquest, and the exploitation of resources.
Social control: The implementation of religious laws and institutions to enforce social hierarchies and maintain power structures.
Economic exploitation: The use of religious authority to control economic resources and exploit the labor of subjugated populations.
Religious imperialism isn't solely a historical phenomenon. Contemporary manifestations, though often subtle, still exist in various forms, including the weaponization of religious identity in political conflicts and the subtle pressure exerted by dominant religious groups on minority communities.
II. Historical Case Studies: Examining the Legacy of Religious Imperialism
Several historical periods vividly illustrate the devastating effects of religious imperialism:
The Spanish Conquest of the Americas: The Spanish conquest wasn't simply a military endeavor; it was deeply intertwined with the Catholic Church's mission to convert indigenous populations. Brutal tactics, including the destruction of religious sites and the imposition of Spanish culture, resulted in the decimation of indigenous populations and the near-total eradication of many pre-Columbian religions.
The Crusades: While often framed as religious wars, the Crusades involved significant elements of imperial ambition, fueled by religious fervor. These campaigns resulted in widespread violence, cultural destruction, and the expansion of European power in the Middle East.
European Colonialism in Africa and Asia: European colonial powers frequently used Christianity as a tool to justify their domination and exploitation of African and Asian populations. Missionary activities were often closely linked with colonial administration, and indigenous religions were actively suppressed.
These examples highlight the destructive potential of religious imperialism, demonstrating how religious zeal can be manipulated to achieve political and economic gains at the expense of human lives and cultures.
III. The Ethical Dimensions: Justifications and Criticisms
The ethical dimensions of religious imperialism are complex and controversial. Proponents often invoke a sense of divine mandate or a duty to spread the "true" faith. However, critics argue that imposing one's beliefs upon others constitutes a fundamental violation of human rights and religious freedom.
The justification for religious imperialism frequently relied on a perceived hierarchy of religions, with the dominant religion positioned as superior and deserving of global dominance. This hierarchical worldview often fueled a sense of cultural superiority and legitimized the subjugation of other cultures. The lack of respect for religious diversity and the denial of self-determination are central criticisms of religious imperialism.
IV. Contemporary Manifestations: Subtle Forms of Domination
While overt forms of religious imperialism have diminished, subtler manifestations persist in the modern world. These include:
Religious nationalism: The conflation of religious identity with national identity, leading to the exclusion and marginalization of religious minorities.
Religious intolerance: The persecution and discrimination of individuals and groups based on their religious beliefs.
The use of religion in political conflicts: The manipulation of religious identity to justify violence and conflict.
Cultural appropriation: The adoption and exploitation of religious symbols and practices by dominant cultures without proper respect or understanding.
These contemporary forms of religious imperialism highlight the enduring challenge of promoting religious tolerance and protecting religious freedom in an increasingly interconnected world.
V. Conclusion: Towards a Future of Religious Pluralism
Understanding religious imperialism is crucial for fostering a world characterized by religious tolerance and mutual respect. Recognizing the historical legacy of this phenomenon and acknowledging its continuing influence is the first step toward combating its modern manifestations. Promoting interfaith dialogue, respecting religious diversity, and upholding human rights are essential components of building a more just and equitable future free from the oppressive forces of religious imperialism. The challenge lies in creating a global society where religious beliefs are celebrated for their richness and diversity, rather than weaponized for power and dominance.
Book Outline: "The Shadow of the Cross: A Global History of Religious Imperialism"
Introduction: Defining religious imperialism, its historical context, and the scope of the book.
Chapter 1: Ancient Roots: Examining early examples of religious expansion and the interplay between religion and power in ancient civilizations.
Chapter 2: The Rise of Christendom: Analyzing the role of the Catholic Church in the expansion of European power and the consequences of its imperial ambitions.
Chapter 3: Colonialism and Conversion: Exploring the relationship between European colonialism and the spread of Christianity in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Chapter 4: The Reformation and Religious Wars: Examining the impact of the Protestant Reformation on religious conflict and imperial ambitions.
Chapter 5: Islam and Empire: Analyzing the role of Islam in the formation of empires and the expansion of Islamic faith.
Chapter 6: Religious Imperialism in the Modern Era: Exploring contemporary manifestations, including religious nationalism and the use of religion in political conflicts.
Chapter 7: Resistance and Resilience: Examining indigenous responses to religious imperialism and the preservation of cultural traditions.
Chapter 8: Toward Religious Pluralism: Discussing strategies for promoting interfaith dialogue, religious tolerance, and respect for religious diversity.
Conclusion: Reflecting on the lasting legacy of religious imperialism and the ongoing challenge of building a more just and equitable world.
(Detailed explanations of each chapter would follow here, expanding on each point in the outline above. This would add considerably to the word count, but the structure is provided to maintain the prompt's request for a comprehensive outline.)
FAQs:
1. What is the difference between missionary work and religious imperialism? Missionary work focuses on spreading religious beliefs through persuasion and teaching, while religious imperialism uses power and coercion to impose religious beliefs and suppress other faiths.
2. Are there examples of religious imperialism outside of Christianity? Yes, numerous examples exist, including the expansion of Islam during the early Islamic conquests and the historical actions of certain Buddhist empires.
3. How does religious imperialism relate to colonialism? Colonialism often employed religion as a tool to justify its actions, providing a moral or divine justification for exploitation and subjugation.
4. What are the long-term consequences of religious imperialism? Long-term consequences include cultural loss, social unrest, ongoing religious tensions, and the perpetuation of inequalities.
5. Is religious imperialism still relevant today? Yes, although less overt, subtle forms persist in religious nationalism, intolerance, and the manipulation of religion in political conflicts.
6. How can we combat religious imperialism? Promoting religious tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and respect for human rights are crucial steps.
7. What role does education play in addressing religious imperialism? Education is vital in promoting critical thinking, understanding diverse perspectives, and challenging narratives that justify oppression.
8. How can governments address religious imperialism? Governments can implement policies that protect religious freedom, prevent discrimination, and promote intercultural understanding.
9. What role do religious institutions themselves play in countering religious imperialism? Religious institutions can actively promote interfaith dialogue, denounce violence, and advocate for social justice.
Related Articles:
1. The Crusades and the Legacy of Religious Violence: Examining the impact of the Crusades on religious conflict and its implications for today.
2. The Spanish Inquisition: A Case Study in Religious Persecution: Detailing the methods and consequences of the Spanish Inquisition.
3. Religious Conversion in Colonial Africa: Analyzing the processes and consequences of religious conversion during the colonial era.
4. The Rise of Religious Nationalism: Exploring the factors that contribute to religious nationalism and its impact on political stability.
5. Interfaith Dialogue: Building Bridges Across Religious Divides: Examining strategies for fostering understanding and cooperation between different religions.
6. Religious Tolerance and Human Rights: Discussing the importance of religious freedom and its relationship to other human rights.
7. The Role of Religion in Post-Colonial Societies: Analyzing the impact of colonialism on religious landscapes and the subsequent development of religious identities.
8. Religious Violence and Terrorism: Examining the use of religious ideology to justify violence and terrorism.
9. The Ethics of Religious Proselytizing: Exploring the ethical dilemmas associated with missionary work and the importance of respect for religious diversity.
| religious imperialism: Christian Imperialism Emily Conroy-Krutz, 2015-11-18 In 1812, eight American missionaries, under the direction of the recently formed American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, sailed from the United States to South Asia. The plans that motivated their voyage were ano less grand than taking part in the Protestant conversion of the entire world. Over the next several decades, these men and women were joined by hundreds more American missionaries at stations all over the globe. Emily Conroy-Krutz shows the surprising extent of the early missionary impulse and demonstrates that American evangelical Protestants of the early nineteenth century were motivated by Christian imperialism—an understanding of international relations that asserted the duty of supposedly Christian nations, such as the United States and Britain, to use their colonial and commercial power to spread Christianity. In describing how American missionaries interacted with a range of foreign locations (including India, Liberia, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, North America, and Singapore) and imperial contexts, Christian Imperialism provides a new perspective on how Americans thought of their country’s role in the world. While in the early republican period many were engaged in territorial expansion in the west, missionary supporters looked east and across the seas toward Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Conroy-Krutz’s history of the mission movement reveals that strong Anglo-American and global connections persisted through the early republic. Considering Britain and its empire to be models for their work, the missionaries of the American Board attempted to convert the globe into the image of Anglo-American civilization. |
| religious imperialism: Religious Dynamics under the Impact of Imperialism and Colonialism Björn Bentlage, Marion Eggert, Hans Martin Krämer, Stefan Reichmuth, 2016-10-11 This sourcebook offers rare insights into a formative period in the modern history of religions. Throughout the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, when commercial, political and cultural contacts intensified worldwide, politics and religions became ever more entangled. This volume offers a wide range of translated source texts from all over Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, thereby diminishing the difficulty of having to handle the plurality of involved languages and backgrounds. The ways in which the original authors, some prominent and others little known, thought about their own religion, its place in the world and its relation to other religions, allows for much needed insight into the shared and analogous challenges of an age dominated by imperialism and colonialism. |
| religious imperialism: Pious Imperialism Cornelius Conover, 2019-05-01 This book analyzes Spanish rule and Catholic practice from the consolidation of Spanish control in the Americas in the sixteenth century to the loss of these colonies in the nineteenth century by following the life and afterlife of an accidental martyr, San Felipe de Jésus. Using Mexico City–native San Felipe as the central figure, Conover tracks the global aspirations of imperial Spain in places such as Japan and Rome without losing sight of the local forces affecting Catholicism. He demonstrates the ways Spanish religious attitudes motivated territorial expansion and transformed Catholic worship. Using Mexico City as an example, Conover also shows that the cult of saints continually refreshed the spiritual authority of the Spanish monarch and the message of loyalty of colonial peoples to a devout king. Such a political message in worship, Conover concludes, proved contentious in independent Mexico, thus setting the stage for the momentous conflicts of the nineteenth century in Latin American religious history. |
| religious imperialism: Providence and the Raj Gerald Studdert-Kennedy, 1998-11-24 The third volume of a historical series which includes Dog-Collar Diplomacy and British Christians, Indian Nationalists, and the Raj which collects previously published papers that explore the notion that British Imperial history can not be fully understood without taking into account the political significance of British religious convictions. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR |
| religious imperialism: Christian Imperialism Arthur Cooke Hill, 1917 |
| religious imperialism: God's Empire Hilary M. Carey, 2011-01-06 In God's Empire, Hilary M. Carey charts Britain's nineteenth-century transformation from Protestant nation to free Christian empire through the history of the colonial missionary movement. This wide-ranging reassessment of the religious character of the second British empire provides a clear account of the promotional strategies of the major churches and church parties which worked to plant settler Christianity in British domains. Based on extensive use of original archival and rare published sources, the author explores major debates such as the relationship between religion and colonization, church-state relations, Irish Catholics in the empire, the impact of the Scottish Disruption on colonial Presbyterianism, competition between Evangelicals and other Anglicans in the colonies, and between British and American strands of Methodism in British North America. |
| religious imperialism: Empire of Religion David Chidester, 2014-03-19 How is knowledge about religion and religions produced, and how is that knowledge authenticated and circulated? David Chidester seeks to answer these questions in Empire of Religion, documenting and analyzing the emergence of a science of comparative religion in Great Britain during the second half of the nineteenth century and its complex relations to the colonial situation in southern Africa. In the process, Chidester provides a counterhistory of the academic study of religion, an alternative to standard accounts that have failed to link the field of comparative religion with either the power relations or the historical contingencies of the imperial project. In developing a material history of the study of religion, Chidester documents the importance of African religion, the persistence of the divide between savagery and civilization, and the salience of mediations—imperial, colonial, and indigenous—in which knowledge about religions was produced. He then identifies the recurrence of these mediations in a number of case studies, including Friedrich Max Müller’s dependence on colonial experts, H. Rider Haggard and John Buchan’s fictional accounts of African religion, and W. E. B. Du Bois’s studies of African religion. By reclaiming these theorists for this history, Chidester shows that race, rather than theology, was formative in the emerging study of religion in Europe and North America. Sure to be controversial, Empire of Religion is a major contribution to the field of comparative religious studies. |
| religious imperialism: Islam and Colonialism Muhamad Ali, 2015-12-08 This book offers a comparative and cross-cultural history of Islamic reform and European colonialism as both dependent and independent factors in shaping the multiple ways of becoming modern in Indonesia and Malaya during the first half of the twentieth century. |
| religious imperialism: An Empire Divided James Patrick Daughton, 2006 An award-winning book, An Empire Divided tells the story of how troubled relations between Catholic missionaries and a host of republican critics shaped colonial policies, Catholic perspectives, and domestic French politics in the tumultuous decades before the First World War. |
| religious imperialism: Islamic Imperialism Efraim Karsh, 2007-01-01 From the first Arab-Islamic Empire of the mid-seventh century to the Ottomans, the last great Muslim empire, the story of the Middle East has been the story of the rise and fall of universal empires and, no less important, of imperialist dreams. So argues Efraim Karsh in this highly provocative book. Rejecting the conventional Western interpretation of Middle Eastern history as an offshoot of global power politics, Karsh contends that the region's experience is the culmination of long-existing indigenous trends, passions, and patterns of behavior, and that foremost among these is Islam's millenarian imperial tradition. The author explores the history of Islam's imperialism and the persistence of the Ottoman imperialist dream that outlasted World War I to haunt Islamic and Middle Eastern politics to the present day. September 11 can be seen as simply the latest expression of this dream, and such attacks have little to do with U.S. international behavior or policy in the Middle East, says Karsh. The House of Islam's war for world mastery is traditional, indeed venerable, and it is a quest that is far from over. |
| religious imperialism: Casting Faiths T. DuBois, 2009-03-31 How did European imperialism shape the ideas and practices of religion in East and Southeast Asia? Casting Faiths brings together eleven scholars to show how Western law, governance, education and mission shaped the basic understanding of what religion is, and what role it should play in society. |
| religious imperialism: Religion and US Empire Tisa Wenger, Sylveste A Johnson, 2022-08-23 Shows how American forms of religion and empire developed in tandem, shaping and reshaping each other over the course of American history The United States has been an empire since the time of its founding, and this empire is inextricably intertwined with American religion. Religion and US Empire examines the relationship between these dynamic forces throughout the country’s history and into the present. The volume will serve as the most comprehensive and definitive text on the relationship between US empire and American religion. Whereas other works describe religion as a force that aided or motivated American imperialism, this comprehensive new history reveals how imperialism shaped American religion—and how religion historically structured, enabled, challenged, and resisted US imperialism. Chapters move chronologically from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first, ranging geographically from the Caribbean, Michigan, and Liberia, to Oklahoma, Hawai’i, and the Philippines. Rather than situating these histories safely in the past, the final chapters ask readers to consider present day entanglements between capitalism, imperialism, and American religion. Religion and US Empire is an urgent work of history, offering the context behind a relationship that is, for better or worse, very much alive today. |
| religious imperialism: Guns and Gospel Ambrose Mong, 2016-11-24 During the nineteenth century, Christian missionaries vied for the Chinese souls they thought they were saving. But many things held them back: Western gunboat diplomacy, unequal treaties and their own prejudices, which increased hostility towards Christianity. 'One more Christian, one less Chinese,' has long been a popular cliche in China. Guns and Gospel examines the accusation of 'cultural imperialism' levelled against the missionaries and explores their complex and ambivalent relationships with the opium trade and British imperialism. Ambrose Mong follows key figures among the missionaries, such as Robert Morrison, Charles Gutzlaff, James Hudson Taylor and Timothy Richard, uncovering why some succeeded where others failed, and asks whether they really became lackeys to imperialism. |
| religious imperialism: Missionary Writing and Empire, 1800-1860 Anna Johnston, 2003-08-07 Anna Johnston analyses missionary writing under the aegis of the British Empire. Johnston argues that missionaries occupied ambiguous positions in colonial cultures, caught between imperial and religious interests. She maps out this position through an examination of texts published by missionaries of the largest, most influential nineteenth-century evangelical institution, the London Missionary Society. Texts from Indian, Polynesian, and Australian missions are examined to highlight their representation of nineteenth-century evangelical activity in relation to gender, colonialism, and race. |
| religious imperialism: Roman and Christian Imperialism John Westbury-Jones, 1939 |
| religious imperialism: Southern Cross Christine Leigh Heyrman, 2013-04-03 In an astonishing history, a work of strikingly original research and interpretation, Heyrman shows how the evangelical Protestants of the late-18th century affronted the Southern Baptist majority of the day, not only by their opposition to slaveholding, war, and class privilege, but also by their espousal of the rights of the poor and their encouragement of women's public involvement in the church. |
| religious imperialism: An Islamic Response to Imperialism Nikki R. Keddie, 1983-04-20 Keddie has rendered a valuable service ... Afghani merits the attention of Western students of the contemporary international scene and the Muslim renaissance since he made the first significant attempt to answer the modern Western challenge to the Muslim world. ---Eastern World Sayyid Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani (1838-1897), the well known religious reformer and political activist, led a busy and complex life full of obscure and clandestine ventures. . . . [Keddie] draws on a wide range of primary and secondary sources. In part I an attempt is made to provide an accurate biography and a consistent analysis of Afghani. Part II co ntains translations of some of his most important writings. . . Although Afghani was concerned with the wide ranging need for Islamic reform, he devoted most of his life to the more urgent political problems confronting Muslims--problems arising out of their weakness in dealing with the Western Christian powers. Hence the tide of this book. The picture that emerges here confirms Afghani's long standing reputation as a defender of Muslim interests--not against borrowing European advances in science and technology, but against foreign political, economic, or military encroachment.--Middle East journal Jamal ad-Din was a mysterious figure and most of the mysteries were of his own making . . . it has been left to Professor Keddie to apply the methods of the critical historian to the matter ... This book shows how successful she has been . . . there has emerged for the first time a credible picture of Jamal ad-Din's life . . . The second part contains translations of works by Jamal ad-Din himself, and these are valuable because most of them were written in Persian and have either not been easily available at all or else have been available only in Arabic translation. This is particularly true of the Refutation of the Materialists. --International journal of Middle East Studies For the first time a significant collection of the writings of al-Afghani are now available in English, and so, for the first time, this controversial figure has had more life breathed into him.--American Historical Review |
| religious imperialism: Theory for Religious Studies William E. Deal, Timothy Kandler Beal, 2004 First Published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company. |
| religious imperialism: Religion and US Empire Tisa Wenger, Sylvester A. Johnson, 2022-08-23 This book shows how imperialism molded American religion-both the category of religion and the traditions designated as religions-and reveals the multifaceted roles of American religions in structuring, enabling, surviving, and resisting the U.S. Empire-- |
| religious imperialism: African American Religions, 1500–2000 Sylvester A. Johnson, 2015-08-06 A rich account of the long history of Black religion from the dawn of Western colonialism to the rise of the national security paradigm. |
| religious imperialism: Empires of Religion H. Carey, 2008-11-13 A sparkling new collection on religion and imperialism, covering Ireland and Britain, Australia, Canada, the Cape Colony and New Zealand, Botswana and Madagascar. Bursting with accounts of lively characters and incidents from around the British world, this collection is essential reading for all students of religious and imperial history. |
| religious imperialism: Religious Foundations of Western Civilization Jacob Neusner, 2010-08-01 World Religions Religious Foundations of Western Civilization introduces students to the major Western world religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—their beliefs, key concepts, history, as well as the fundamental role they have played, and continue to play, in Western culture. Contributors include: Jacob Neusner, Alan J. Avery-Peck, Bruce D. Chilton, Th. Emil Homerin, Jon D. Levenson, William Scott Green, Seymour Feldman, Elliot R. Wolfson, James A. Brundage, Olivia Remie Constable, and Amila Buturovic. This book provides a superb source of information for scientists and scholars from all disciplines who are trying to understand religion in the context of human cultural evolution. David Sloan Wilson, Professor, Departments of Biology and Anthropology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York This is the right book at the right time. Globalization, religious revivalism, and international politics have made it more important than ever to appreciate the significant contributions of the Children of Abraham to the formation and development of Western civilization. John L. Esposito, University Professor and Founding Director of the Center for Muslm-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Jacob Neusner is Research Professor of Religion and Theology, and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. General Interest/Other Religions/Comparative Religion |
| religious imperialism: Missions, Nationalism and the End of Empire Stanley, Alaine M. Low, 2003 Christian missions have often been seen as the religious arm of Western imperialism. What is rarely appreciated is the role they played in bringing about an end to the Western colonial empires after the Second World War. Missions, Nationalism, and the End of Empire explores this neglected subject. Respected authorities on the history of missions explore new territory in these chapters, examining from diverse angles the linkages between Christianity, nationalism, and the dissolution of the colonial empires in Asia and Africa. This work not only sheds light on the relation of religion and politics but also uncovers the sometimes paradoxical implications of the church's call to bring the gospel to all the world. Contributors: Daniel H. Bays Philip Boobbyer Judith M. Brown Richard Elphick Deborah Gaitskell Adrian Hastings Caroline Howell Ka- che Yip Ogbu U. Kalu Hartmut Lehmann Derek Peterson Andrew Porter Brian Stanley John Stuart |
| religious imperialism: Christian Imperialism [microform] A C (Arthur Cooke) Hill, 2021-09-10 This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. |
| religious imperialism: The Slain God Timothy Larsen, 2014-08-29 Throughout its entire history, the discipline of anthropology has been perceived as undermining, or even discrediting, Christian faith. Many of its most prominent theorists have been agnostics who assumed that ethnographic findings and theories had exposed religious beliefs to be untenable. E. B. Tylor, the founder of the discipline in Britain, lost his faith through studying anthropology. James Frazer saw the material that he presented in his highly influential work, The Golden Bough, as demonstrating that Christian thought was based on the erroneous thought patterns of 'savages.' On the other hand, some of the most eminent anthropologists have been Christians, including E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Mary Douglas, Victor Turner, and Edith Turner. Moreover, they openly presented articulate reasons for how their religious convictions cohered with their professional work. Despite being a major site of friction between faith and modern thought, the relationship between anthropology and Christianity has never before been the subject of a book-length study. In this groundbreaking work, Timothy Larsen examines the point where doubt and faith collide with anthropological theory and evidence. |
| religious imperialism: Religion and Governance in England’s Emerging Colonial Empire, 1601–1698 Haig Z. Smith, 2021-11-03 This open access book explores the role of religion in England's overseas companies and the formation of English governmental identity abroad in the seventeenth century. Drawing on research into the Virginia, East India, Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, New England and Levant Companies, it offers a comparative global assessment of the inextricable links between the formation of English overseas government and various models of religious governance across England's emerging colonial empire. While these approaches to governance varied from company to company, each sought to regulate the behaviour of their personnel, as well as the numerous communities and faiths which fell within their jurisdiction. This book provides a crucial reassessment of the seventeenth-century foundations of British imperial governance. |
| religious imperialism: Colonial Transformation and Asian Religions in Modern History David W. Kim, 2018-10-12 The localisation of a region, group, or culture was a common social phenomenon in pre-modern Asia, but global colonialism began to affect the lifestyle of local people. What was the political condition of the relationship between insiders and outsiders? The impact of colonial authorities over religious communities has not received significant attention, even though the Asian continent is the home of many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Shintoism, and Shamanism. Colonial Transformation and Asian Religions in Modern History presents multi-angled perspectives of socio-religious transition. It uses the cultural religiosity of the Asian people as a lens through which readers can re-examine the concepts of imperialism, religious syncretism and modernisation. The contributors interpret the growth of new religions as another facet of counter-colonialism. This new approach offers significant insight into comprehending the practical agony and sorrow of regional people throughout Asian history. |
| religious imperialism: Postcolonial Theology of Religions Jenny Daggers, 2013-07-18 This original and ambitious book considers the terms of engagement between Christian theology and other religious traditions, beginning with criticism of Christian theology of religions as entangled with European colonial modernity. Jenny Daggers covers recent efforts to disentangle Eurocentrism from the meeting of the religions, and investigates new constructive possibilities arising in the postcolonial context. In dialogue with Asian and feminist theologies, she reflects on ways forward for relations between the religions and offers a particularist model for theology of religions, standing within a classical Trinitarian framework. |
| religious imperialism: Human Rights and Religious Values , 1995 Sects and new religious movements |
| religious imperialism: Ancestors, Virgins, and Friars Eugenio Menegon, 2020-10-26 Christianity is often praised as an agent of Chinese modernization or damned as a form of cultural and religious imperialism. In both cases, Christianity’s foreignness and the social isolation of converts have dominated this debate. Eugenio Menegon uncovers another story. In the sixteenth century, European missionaries brought a foreign and global religion to China. Converts then transformed this new religion into a local one over the course of the next three centuries. Focusing on the still-active Catholic communities of Fuan county in northeast Fujian, this project addresses three main questions. Why did people convert? How did converts and missionaries transform a global and foreign religion into a local religion? What does Christianity’s localization in Fuan tell us about the relationship between late imperial Chinese society and religion? Based on an impressive array of sources from Asia and Europe, this pathbreaking book reframes our understanding of Christian missions in Chinese-Western relations. The study’s implications extend beyond the issue of Christianity in China to the wider fields of religious and social history and the early modern history of global intercultural relations. The book suggests that Christianity became part of a preexisting pluralistic, local religious space, and argues that we have so far underestimated late imperial society’s tolerance for “heterodoxy.” The view from Fuan offers an original account of how a locality created its own religious culture in Ming-Qing China within a context both global and local, and illuminates the historical dynamics contributing to the remarkable growth of Christian communities in present-day China. |
| religious imperialism: WHITE MAN'S BURDEN Rudyard Kipling, 2020-11-05 This book re-presents the poetry of Rudyard Kipling in the form of bold slogans, the better for us to reappraise the meaning and import of his words and his art. Each line or phrase is thrust at the reader in a manner that may be inspirational or controversial... it is for the modern consumer of this recontextualization to decide. They are words to provoke: to action. To inspire. To recite. To revile. To reconcile or reconsider the legacy and benefits of colonialism. Compiled and presented by sloganist Dick Robinson, three poems are included, complete and uncut: 'White Man's Burden', 'Fuzzy-Wuzzy' and 'If'. |
| religious imperialism: Woman's World/Woman's Empire Ian Tyrrell, 2014-03-19 Frances Willard founded the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in 1884 to carry the message of women's emancipation throughout the world. Based in the United States, the WCTU rapidly became an international organization, with affiliates in forty-two countries. Ian Tyrrell tells the extraordinary story of how a handful of women sought to change the mores of the world -- not only by abolishing alcohol but also by promoting peace and attacking prostitution, poverty, and male control of democratic political structures. In describing the work of Mary Leavitt, Jessie Ackermann, and other temperance crusaders on the international scene, Tyrrell identifies the tensions generated by conflict between the WCTU's universalist agenda and its own version of an ideologically and religiously based form of cultural imperialism. The union embraced an international and occasionally ecumenical vision that included a critique of Western materialism and imperialism. But, at the same time, its mission inevitably promoted Anglo-American cultural practices and Protestant evangelical beliefs deemed morally superior by the WCTU. Tyrrell also considers, from a comparative perspective, the peculiar links between feminism, social reform, and evangelical religion in Anglo-American culture that made it so difficult for the WCTU to export its vision of a woman-centered mission to other cultures. Even in other Western states, forging links between feminism and religiously based temperance reform was made virtually impossible by religious, class, and cultural barriers. Thus, the WCTU ultimately failed in its efforts to achieve a sober and pure world, although its members significantly shaped the values of those countries in which it excercised strong influence. As and urgently needed history of the first largescale worldwide women's organization and non-denominational evangelical institution, Woman's World / Woman's Empire will be a valuable resource to scholars in the fields of women's studies, religion, history, and alcohol and temperance studies. |
| religious imperialism: THE EMPIRE OF APOSTLES Ananya Chakravarti, 2018-05-18 The Portuguese encounter with the peoples of South Asia and Brazil set foundational precedents for European imperialism. Jesuit missionaries were key participants in both regions. As they sought to reconcile three commitments—to local missionary spaces, to a universal Church, and to the global Portuguese empire—the Jesuits forged a religious vision of empire. Ananya Chakravarti explores both indigenous and European experiences to show how these missionaries learned to negotiate everything with the diverse peoples they encountered and that nothing could simply be imposed. Yet Jesuits repeatedly wrote home in language celebrating triumphal impositions of European ideas and practices upon indigenous people. In the process, while empire was built through distinctly ambiguous interactions, Europeans came to imagine themselves in imperial moulds. In this dynamic, in which the difficult lessons of empire came to be learned and forgotten repeatedly, Chakravarti demonstrates an enduring and overlooked characteristic of European imperialism. |
| religious imperialism: Faith and Foreign Affairs in the American Century Mark Thomas Edwards, 2019-08-22 The United States has led the world in almost every way since World War I. In 1941, Life magazine publisher Henry Luce dubbed his country’s preponderant power “the American Century.” His editorial was a statement of fact but also an aspiration for countrymen to unite in promotion of a world order friendly to American interests. Faith and Foreign Affairs in the American Century examines the nature of public involvement in American diplomacy. As a concept decades in the making, the American Century was conceived by those connected through the country’s leading foreign policy think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations. The missionary couple and Washington insiders Francis and Helen Miller, who fought to make the American empire a radically democratic one, figured prominently in that work. The Millers’ many partnerships embodied the conflicts as well as the cooperation of Christianity and secularism in the long reimagining of the United States as a global state. Mark Thomas Edwards offers in this study a genealogy of the concept of the American Century. Readers will encounter moments of Protestant Christian power and marginalization in the making of modern American foreign relations. |
| religious imperialism: Colonialism and the Bible Tat-siong Benny Liew, Fernando F. Segovia, 2018-04-11 This volume addresses the problematic relationship between colonialism and the Bible. It does so from the perspective of the Global South, calling upon voices from Africa and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The contributors address the present state of the problematic relationship in their respective geopolitical and geographical contexts. In so doing, they provide sharp analyses of the past, the present, and the future: historical contexts and trajectories, contemporary legacies and junctures, and future projects and strategies. Taken together, the essays provide a rich and expansive comparative framework across the globe. |
| religious imperialism: Decolonising the Study of Religion Jørn Borup, 2023-12-18 Decolonising the Study of Religion analyses historical and contemporary discussions in the study of religion and Buddhism and critically investigates representations, possibilities, and challenges of a decolonial approach, addressing the important question: who owns Buddhism? The monograph offers a case-based perspective with which to examine the general study of religion, where new challenges require reflection and prospects for new directions. It focuses on Buddhism, one religion which has been studied in the West for centuries. Building on postcolonial theories and supplemented with a critical analysis of identity and postsecular engagement, the book offers new possibilities and challenges to the study of religion. It critically investigates decolonisation in the study of religion, subscribing to a third way between ‘objectivist’ and ‘subjectivist’ positions. Analysing the postcolonial and decolonial critique of the study of religion, with a particular focus on Buddhist studies in the West and in Japan, this book will be of interest to researchers in the field of Religious Studies, Buddhism, Japanese religions, anthropology, Asian Studies and those interested in religion and decolonisation. |
| religious imperialism: State Responses to Minority Religions David M. Kirkham, 2017-05-15 The response of states to demands for free exercise of religion or belief varies greatly across the world. In some places, religions come as close as imaginable to autonomous existences with little interference from government. In other cases religion finds itself grinding out a meagre living, if at all, under the jealously watchful eye of the state. This book provides a legal and normative overview of the variety of responses to minority religions available to states. Exploring case studies ranging from Islamic regions such as Indonesia, Pakistan, and the wider Middle East, to Western Europe, Eastern Europe, China, Russia, Canada, and the Baltics, contributors include international scholars and experts in law, sociology, religious studies, and political science. This book offers invaluable perspectives on how minority religions are currently being received, reviewed, challenged, or ignored in different parts of the world. |
| religious imperialism: Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America: Women in North American Catholicism Rosemary Skinner Keller, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Marie Cantlon, 2006 A fundamental and well-illustrated reference collection for anyone interested in the role of women in North American religious life. |
| religious imperialism: The Myth of Christian Uniqueness John Hick, Paul F. Knitter, 2005-01-25 A new model of Christian theology, the 'pluralistic' model, is taking shape, moving beyond the traditional models of exclusivism (Christianity as the only true religion) and inclusivism (Christianity as the best religion) toward a view that recognizes the possibility of many valid religions. In this volume, a widely representative group of eminent Christian theologians - Protestant and Catholic, male and female, from East and West, First and Third Worlds - explores genuinely new attitudes toward other believers and traditions, expanding and refining the discussion and debate over pluralistic theology. Contributors are: Gordon D. Kaufman, John Hick, Langdon Gilkey, Wilfred Cantwell Smith, Stanley J. Samartha, Raimundo Panikkar, Seiichi Yagi, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Marjorie Jewitt Suchocki, Aloysius Pieris, Tom F. Driver, and Paul F. Knitter. |
| religious imperialism: The Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion Robert Wuthnow, 2013-12-04 Containing over 200 articles from prominent scholars, The Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion examines ways in which politics and religion have combined to affect social attitudes, spark collective action and influence policy over the last two hundred years. With a focus that covers broad themes like millenarian movements and pluralism, and a scope that takes in religious and political systems throughout the world, the Encyclopedia is essential for its contemporary as well as historical coverage. Special Features: * Encompasses religions, individuals, geographical regions, institutions and events * Describes the history of relations between religion and politics * Longer articles contain brief bibliographies * Attractively designed and produced The Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion will be invaluable for any library, public and academic, which serves those interested in politics, sociology, religious studies, international affairs and history. Contents include: ^ Abortion * Algeria * Anabaptists * China * Christian Democracy * Ethnic Cleansing * Gandhi * Israel * Italy * Jesuits * Jihad * Just War * Missionaries * Moral Majority * Muslim Brethren * Temperance Movements * Unification Church * War * Zionism |
