The universalized theology of progress makes historians unconsciously reproduce imperial hierarchies

Evidence

For ideological discourse, especially in modernity, is a key element of any form of domination, particularly the sovereign type. When the theology of progress is universalized, as it is inherently made to be, historians, however unconsciously, begin to see the world as moving on a linear trajectory, one that progresses from an earlier and less developed stage to civilization, always dictated by Western terms. — Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism, 209

Categorization

• DEFINE: Names and defines what Hallaq means by ‘theology of progress’ and shows its mechanism.
• XREF: connects to: Historical materialism needs hidden theology to win its game — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 601; Christian nationalist history follows a golden-age-fall-redeem narrative structure. — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers: Inside the…, 526; Empire generates the scholarly paradigms that then legitimize its interventions. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 263 (+2 more)