Missions and Colonialism

The 19th and 20th centuries saw a great expansion in Protestant missionary activity.  With the growth of European colonialism often came missionaries, spreading the gospel to new lands as well as covering some old ground.  However, mixed with the good news were cultural values and commercial interests that produced mixed effects among indigenous populations.  While the meta-narrative of progress tells us that the modernization and development of the non-Western world was generally a good thing, it is often difficult to distinguish the oppressive side of missionary activity from the empowering side.

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