The 20th century was characterized by massive changes that were mainly influenced by the colonial powers that were slowly taking over the African continent and some parts of Asia. The colonial power were Europeans from the west who were aimed at getting labor for their industries and firms. During this period, massive industrialization was taking over Europe, making them colonize countries for cheap work that was readily available in African countries. Tracing back to that period, Africa was uncivilized, and most African communities believed in their native cultures and religion. Since the technology was not as advanced as it is now, Europeans discovered Africa through the works of explorers. Prince Henry was also known as the navigator, is credited for the discovery of India and Africa. After the explorer mission, merchants and missionaries were able to travel to Africa. Missionaries came in the name of spreading Christianity and the gospel of God.
Missionaries also performed other duties such as educating Africa to help them transition from informal education to formal education. Although they faced opposition from some native Africans, most were accepted the new religion converting into Christianity. The people who received the new religion were granted privileges such as access to education and sponsorship to learn abroad. The missionaries played a considerable role in the civilization of Africa and training, but that was not their only intention. As it was later discovered, missionaries opened doors for colonization of Africa by Europeans. At this time, most governments in Europe with the Catholic Church being the most dominant among most European countries. Through the use of the Catholic Church, European were able to establish roots in Africa with the first soldiers coming to protect the missionaries from hostile African communities. Simultaneously, the scramble and partition for Africa were ongoing; hence the superpowers were able to send more soldiers to take over Africa.
With most European governments being under either Protestantism or Catholicism, it is easy to connect how religion through missionaries assisted in the colonization of Africa. In the beginning, ministers were viewed as saints spreading God’s gospel. Still, in the end, they were referred to as ideological shock troops used by the colonial government to invade and colonize African countries. The main reason why Christianity is criticized is that it was used as a means to justify the actions of the colonial government. The works of European colonizers and how they treated Africa differed from the teachings and doctrines in Christianity. Activities such as the slave trade were predominant among the European colonizers, and there went against the teaching of Christ, who is the savior of humankind. Through analysis of how Europeans and missionaries worked the role of missionaries in colonization of Africa.
Friedrich Engels and Karl Max, renowned sociologist, termed religion as a drug feeding on the insecurities of poor people. The two sociologists explained that religion was a tool used to influence the thinking of poor African people. When Europeans came to colonize Africa, they use various strategies such as the use of force but religion, Christianity, in particular, was essential in spreading of colonial ideas. In modern Africa, most Africans identify themselves as either Christians or Muslims, with most of them leaving their native religions behind. Everyone is entitled to freedom in worship; it was influential in the shaping of Africa during the period of colonialism and imperialism. In Africa, Christianity achieved two-goal, which were eradicating native African cultures and opening doors for European superpowers to colonize Africa. Christianity persuaded Africans that everything they knew was barbaric and encourage them to accept the Christian way of life, alienating Africans from what they knew.
When missionaries and colonialists came to Africa, they viewed African people as backward and uncivilized hence their mission was to civilize Africans. Since western European embedded their culture from religious practices, teaching religion as a means to educate the culture of the west to Africans. African were made to believe that their methods were barbaric and had to leave them behind and accept the Christian way of life. The missionaries worked hand in hand with the colonial government since they were used in the negotiation of treaties that would later be used to oppress Africans. The work played by missionaries had adverse effects on Africans since, in most cases, the Bible was followed by the gun. Since the ministers presented themselves as kind and principled people, it was easy to pursued Africans to sign treaties that would be used against them by the colonial government.
Actions by missionaries were not pure in though, since they had a hidden motive of assisting colonial governments in taking over the African continent quickly. Apostles, through education, were able to instill western culture to the Africans, making it easy for colonialist to conduct their operations without much resistance. Missionaries were responsible for turning most African leaders into collaborators; hence communities could be influenced easily. Religion was widely spread across African countries, with most Africans accepting it as their new way of life. Today’s devotion is different from what we see today, but during the colonial period, it was a tool used for a more natural takeover of the African continent. Notably, not all missionaries had ill motives. Some were genuinely spreading that Jesus Christ was the chosen Messiah who would save the African people and give them eternal life.
However, the timing was wrong since, at their arrival, traders and colonialists also arrived with the intention of trading and colonizing Africa. According to Walter Rodney, missionaries were no different from soldiers, trader’s, and explores who was used to bring the colonial rule in Africa. In his book, Walter criticized ministers for spreading the message of submission and humility while the colonialists were performing acts of injustice and dehumanization. This made Africans weak by reducing their will to fight the colonial administration. Christian doctrines prevented determination, self-preservation, and genuine rebellion from Africans against the colonial rule and administration. Looking back, it is justifiable to say religion was just a tool used by colonial governments to capture Africa and assert their control.
Historians have, for many years, tried to explain the connection between colonialism and Christianity and have found facts to prove that the intentions of missionaries were not right and just. Jan H. Boers, a historian from Sudan, explained that Christianity was a form of manipulation where Europeans made Africans believe that the advancements in technology and the economy were blessings from Christ. Africans had accepted the Christian religion to be blessed and receive benefits. However, the actions of the European colonizers were evil as they oppressed the Africans and treated them harshly. According to Edward Andrews, missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th century presented themselves as saint spreading the gospel of Christ. However, in the middle 20th century, when revolutionists began advocating for equal human rights and anti-colonialism, missionaries were viewed as a rapacious imperialist who was just tools of Western European administration.
During the colonial period, some Christians began having doubts about religion. They argued if faith could justify actions such as rape, theft, and murder from the colonial government, then the idea of Christianity was wrong. The colonial masters were acting utterly different from the Christian teachings, while missionaries stood back and watch. After acts of oppression and injustice toward Africans, preachers would still tell them that a savior was coming while they were the people oppressing the Africans. However, some historians argued it was not right to judge all missionaries the same since some had sincere motives while others were tools of colonial masters. Furthermore, it was not right for Europeans to treat indigenous people inhumanly for their gain.
During the age of discovery, the Catholic Church put efforts on spreading the gospel in the newly discovered world with intentions to convert Africans and indigenous people into Christianity. Catholic dominant countries such as Portugal, Italy, and Spain used this argument to justify their colonial actions in Africa and across the world. In most cases, religious leaders such as Augustinians were used as colonial leaders in many colonies. In catholic dominant countries such as Spain and Portugal, religion was their guideline on how they lived both spiritually and secular life. Any time they wanted to take over new territories, missionaries would go first to brainwash indigenous people of their culture, the soldiers would follow to enforce the law.
In most cases, they used harsh measures such as harassment. England and Netherlands first challenged the actions of Spain and Portugal in the name of the Roman Catholic Church. Later, the Roman Catholic, through its leaders in the Vatican, began to challenge the actions of Spain and Portugal and then separated themselves from the works of these two countries.
When missionaries arrived in Africa, they noticed their ideas of education and modern medicine to treat diseases were very much welcome by native Africans. Although many Africans welcomed them and their ideas, some were hostile toward the Europeans, making security necessity for the missionaries. A Scottish missionary named David Livingstone was very famous during and after the colonial period. He was a missionary, a writer, and an explorer who worked across the Orange River with the missionary society of London. Livingstone was influential in advocating for anti-slavery, exploration of the new world, and expansion of British colonial territories. Livingstone advocated for colonialism in favor of his country Britain, but also advocated for the just treatment of colonized people. In western Africa, French catholic missionaries were crucial in colonization. However, in Ethiopia, which was independent, four Franciscan sisters arrived since Capuchin missionaries invited them.
In the 1930s, a debate emerged, with some educated Frenchmen being against the use of missionaries in colonizing Africa. Some of these Frenchmen were being trained to take leadership responsibilities in African colonies, but they started revolting. The French government was concerned that its people would turn against them in the African colonies; hence they decided to change strategies. The French began educating native Africans to create collaborators within the Africans. They also used local chiefs to enforce their rule by paying them well so that they can oppress their fellow Africans. However, learned Frenchmen began to revolt against their governments with them questioning the role of religion and missionaries in colonization. This revolts came from ideas from Karl Max, which stated that religion was a tool used to brainwash people to feed on people’s insecurities and fears. The role of missionaries in colonization is still an open debate in the academic world, but most people believe ministers were tools used in expansion just as soldiers and explores.
In conclusion, colonization was the scramble and partitioning of Africa by western European nations. To easily take over their colonies, such as Africa and Asia, they used tools such as missionaries, soldiers, and explorers. When missionaries came to Africa, they went with the message of Jesus Christ, who is the Messiah and savior of human beings. They also introduced western culture to Africa through the introduction of formal education and western clothing. Although many Africa were excited by the new experience, some were hostile and rebellious towards the Europeans since the demoralized the native cultural beliefs of African communities. Research by various historians has shown that missionaries were just wolves in sheep’s skin since they were agents used by the colonial master to colonize and take over Africa quickly. In many instances, missionaries would be used to make deals with native African leaders, which were used to subjugate and take over territories. Many Christians, mainly protestant Europeans, started to question how missionaries would allow colonial masters to kill and enslave innocent Africans. This was the reason why a debate about whether missionaries were faithful to their course began. Up to date, the debate continues in many academic institutions across the world.