Religion In The 16th Century Essay

Contrary to the popular belief of many, through studying the history of Christianity and Islam, the advancements of civilization in Africa up until the 15th century were remarkable and alone disprove the “Dark Continent” myth. Religion assisted in many of the crucial societal advancements that include technology, education and trade. However, the 16th century witnessed the beginning of European contact, as well as an inevitable evolution of Africa. Roman Catholic missionaries from Europe, particularly Portugal, began to penetrate parts of Africa. Some missionary attempts were successful, as exemplified by the King of Kongo becoming a Christian convert in 1506. But Christian missionary attempts often led to violence as seen in several African

Justification for the acts of European nations and the use of violence comes from a prejudiced ideology that developed over the course of centuries. The belief that the Europeans were not only racially superior to Africans, but also superior in the eyes of God made many of the immoral actions committed by Europeans “justified”. Many Christians at the time of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade read about slavery in the Old Testament of the Bible and felt as if it applied to them. Assuming Christendom was the new Israel, Europeans felt that they could enslave “inferior” people the same way Israel had done in the Old Testament. This ideology of superiority was widely accepted by many during this time period and is magnified by the “White Man’s Burden”. Often, missionaries witnessed forceful violence and turned a blind eye. King Leopold II of Belgium, responsible for one of the worst genocides in history, tortured and slaughtered over 10 million Congolese between 1880 and 1920. During this time, most missionaries worked closely with colonial officials and assisted in implementing the forced labor policies. During that time period, a sense of destiny and divine mission many times vindicated the horrible actions committed by