Study Notes on Christian Imperialism and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Christian Imperialism and the Transatlantic Slave Trade - Overview

  • Author: Katie Geneva Cannon

  • Source: Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, Spring 2008, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 127-134

  • Published by: Indiana University Press on behalf of FSR, Inc

  • Stable URL: JSTOR

  • Key Themes:

    • Role of Christianity in the transatlantic slave trade.

    • Historical background about Prince Henry of Portugal, his motivations and actions regarding the slave trade.

Prince Henry of Portugal

  • Known as Henry, "the Navigator" (1394-1460)

    • Key figure in European expeditions to Africa.

    • Governor of Algrave Province with economic interests in trans-Saharan trade.

    • Administrator of the Order of Christ, successor to the Knights Templar.

  • Historical Context:

    • Feudal states of Europe were uniting, leading to religious wars (Christian vs. Muslim, particularly Moors in Morocco).

  • Motivations for Exploration:

    • Discover bounds of the Muslim world.

    • Spread of Christianity to prevent Islamization in West Africa.

  • Papal Bulls and Rights of Patronage:

    • Offered rights to Henry for appointing clerical orders for evangelization and asserting territorial control over competing European interests.

Enslavement and Conversion

  • Interchangeability of Conversion and Enslavement:

    • Peter Russell notes that Henry saw conversion and enslavement as equivalent.

  • Relationship between Crown and Church:

    • Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) recognized Portuguese claims to Africa and legitimatized conversion efforts by the Crown.

  • Missionary efforts predominantly led by Roman Catholic priests (Jesuits, Capuchins, Franciscans) under Portuguese authority.

Ethical Concepts Related to Slave Trade

  • Missiologic of Imminent Parousia:

    • Defined as the connection between biblical urgency and mission strategies of Christian imperialists.

    • Integration of Christian concepts of parousia (expected second coming of Christ, as seen in Matthew 28:18-20) with the urgency of spreading Christianity justified violent acts.

    • Resulted in suffering for over 12 million Africans during voyages to the Americas under atrocious conditions.

    • The system turned enslaved individuals into commodities, experiencing great misery and dehumanization.

    • Misuse of the term "parousia" legitimized slavery and exploitation in alignment with perceived spiritual missions.

Theologic of Racialized Normativity

  • Definition:

    • Refers to the ideology of structured white supremacy within Christianity, positing Caucasians as ordained natural masters and Africans as naturally inferior.

    • Essentialization and stereotypes of Africans constructed them as burdens and morally corrupt entities in need of ‘civilization’ by Europeans.

  • Historical Context:

    • White supremacy identified as a form of idolatry undermining Christianity's liberating potential.

    • Condition of enslaved Africans justified under religious pretenses, with the view that their eternal salvation was tied to their servitude.

  • Cultural Interpretation:

    • Disconnected from human rights, Africans and their descendants made disposable by a theology that reinforced patriarchal and racial hierarchies.

  • Christian empire legitimizing slavery:

    • Focused on converting Africans while simultaneously exploiting them for labor and as a resource.

Consequences and Reflections

  • Legacy of Christian Imperialism:

    • Discussion of how European colonial powers shaped the understanding of God and Christianity.

    • Importance of re-imagining Christianity among African diasporic communities to reclaim the religion's meaning and context in their lives.

  • Ethical Questions Raised:

    • How to address the historical narrative of resistance against the evils of missiology and the racialization of Christianity?

    • Contemporary parallels between the legacy of slavery and current economic exploitation of descendants of Africans.

    • Significance of the Abolition of Slave Trade Act (1807) in light of ongoing human trafficking issues in the modern context.

Critical Reflections

  • The process of re-imaging Christianity in light of historical abuses identified by figures like John Henrik Clarke.

  • Exploration of black liberation theology as a reclamation of faith and identity against the backdrop of historical trauma and exploitation.