Lesson 7 SH 7-2 Nationalism, Imperialism, and Religion

The nationalism and imperialism that swept throughout the world in the nineteenth century resulted in important changes in religion and religious identity. First, liberal ideas that humans were inherently good and that emphasized reason over blind faith raised deep questions in the Western world about religious belief and practice. The publication of Charles Darwin s Origin of the Species in !"#$ caused a fervent debate over religion and scientific evolution. The secular culture that emerged out of scientific and %nlightenment thin&ing encouraged new loyalties to the nation, or 'imagined community,( which filled a void left by the deterioration of previous loyalties to religious authorities. )et despite the erosion of Christianity in %urope, Christian missionary activity e*panded and conversions to Christianity in +frica, ,orea, China, and -ceania accelerated. .issionary wor& was particularly alluring in +frica, where nationalist/inspired competition led to the '0cramble for +frica( 1!""2/!$!23, nearly resulting in complete colonization of the continent. During this period of 'high imperialism,( %uropeans often 4ustified +frican colonialism, and any other colonialism for that matter, on the grounds that their civilization was the most advanced civilization in the world and that they had a mission to civilize the rest of the world. +ssumptions about the moral superiority of %uropeans and their divine 'chosenness( were implicit in this 'civilizing mission.( +ll %uropean colonizing states favored promotion of Western values and institutions through education. Christian missionaries sometimes ran Western/ style schools for indigenous peoples, and successes of this endeavor provided further 4ustification for the civilizing mission of imperialist powers. Therefore, although imperialism was politically motivated as well, religion played a prominent role in helping to legitimize colonial pro4ects. 5n turn, imperialism helped to further nationalism by instilling in some Westerners a greater sense of national pride and superiority. 5n a number of ways, then, nationalism, imperialism, and religion were ine*tricably lin&ed throughout the era.
0ources6 7aul 8authier +dams, Experiencing World History 19ew )or&6 9ew )or& :7, ;2223< =enedict > +nderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism 1?ondon6 8erso, !$$!3< William >. @utchison and @artmut ?ehmann, eds., Many re Chosen: !i"ine Election and Western Nationalism 1.inneapolis6 Fortress 7ress, !$$A3< 7eter 9. 0tearns, .ichael +das, and 0tuart =. 0chwartz, World Ci"ili#ations: $he %lo&al Experience 19ew )or&6 ?ongman, ;22!3.