The Christian civilizing mission presupposed racial progressivism in principle
Evidence
Now the civilizing mission of colonial missionaries obviously must have presupposed, at least in principle, the presumption of racial (including cultural) progressivism. If it were to prove possible to convert the colonized to Christianity, and in conversion to introduce the infidels to the virtues of civilization, to the habits and manners of righteousness, and to the promise of “the heavenly city,” this must presuppose not only convertibility and comprehension on the part of the momentarily inferior. It must presume in addition the very possibility of progress, advancement, civilization. — David Theo Goldberg, The Racial State, 49
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to the ‘Complaints About Immodesty’ article’s treatment of missionary encounters and cultural imposition, and echoes the civilizing-mission discourse analyzed in postcolonial theory (Said, Fanon). — connects to: The Christian-nation quest has always served a racial hierarchy — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 546; White mission aid treated blacks as both mission field and threat to national order — Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent: The Women’s…, 528; Progressivism rested on an idealistic faith unmatched by other movements
Related
- Progressivism rested on an idealistic faith unmatched by other movements (similarity 0.88)
- Civilizing missions demanded tutelage, training, and conversion to Christianity (similarity 0.81)
- Even colonial experts privately called the civilizing mission utilitarian egoism masquerading as philanthropy (similarity 0.80)
- Missionary conversion aimed to manufacture a new colonial subjectivity, not just religious belief (similarity 0.79)
- The civilizing mission frames privileged imposition on the ruled as an honorable burden. (similarity 0.79)