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1 Chapter One Introduction Over the centuries, missionaries have made frantic efforts in Africa to plant the cross and bring its inhabitants under the yoke of Christ. However, due to a lack of consistent reinforcement over time, these sporadic attempts left behind negligible results that were soon obliterated. The third phase of Africa’s systematic evangelisation began in the nineteenth century, a period marked by the extraordinary efforts organized by the great apostles and promoters of the African mission. It was a period of rapid growth, unparalleled by any other missionary endeavours undertaken by the Church in earlier centuries in Africa.1 The nineteenth century witnessed unprecedented changes on a global scale. There was hardly a place on the earth’s surface that was unaffected by this sudden global surge in exploration. Between 1870 and 1900 and especially after 1885, a sudden and striking change occurred in the relations between Europe and the rest of the world. In these years, Europe made its last and most spectacular attempt to dominate the world. No one possible explanation can account for the sudden desire for colonies. European countries became industrialised and needed to find new markets for their products. Colonies provided not only new markets but also raw materials. Imperialism – the quest for colonies – began as a search for new markets and increased wealth. As Europe became a world power with a network of political and economic interest around the globe, rivalries among European states intensified, transforming most of them into armed camps. Combined with growing feelings of nationalism, imperialistic and militaristic impulses, which created an atmosphere that eventually led to strife and dissension. Before 1875, the common wisdom was that colonies brought both benefits and problems to a modern state, but, after that year, western thinking abruptly changed. Europe’s industrialised states began to compete for colonies and for trade rights around the world. To maintain their high 1 John Paul II Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa on the Church in Africa and its Evangelizing No.30. 2 standards of living, they had to find new markets in underdeveloped areas, where they could invest capital and find cheap sources of raw materials. Given these needs, the continent of Africa became the final destination of the imperialistic ambition of western nations. As late as 1850, people still spoke of Africa as the Dark Continent; by 1914, European nations had divided the entire continent, except for Abyssinia and Liberia. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the bravery of explorers like the Scottish missionary, Dr. Livingstone, opened up the centre of Africa to western influence and control. Very quickly, the main European powers began to seize portions of these lands as colonies and claim surrounding territories as their spheres of influence. Western technological superiority made it possible for Europe to explore, discover and conquer militarily, politically and culturally the indigenous civilizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. From the destruction of the Aztec empires in Latin America to the Zulu Empire in South Africa, no land was remote enough to escape the notice of Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and Germany. These western European nations exported their languages, customs, religions and philosophies to parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Even cultures that seemed resilient appeared very vulnerable in the face of whatever was western. From the 15th to 19th centuries, European technological advancement made it possible for Europe to master the known lands of the earth. In the 15th century, the Portuguese invented the caravel to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. In the early 1930s, John Laird designed two paddle steamers. In 1884, Hiram Maxim demonstrated a perfectly reliable machine gun in which the initial pulling of the trigger made the gun fire completely automatically until the trigger was released. In the 19th century, some European nations adopted the compass. These three inventions, instruments of travel, conquest and direction, gave Europe technological leverage over the rest of the world. Countries that had had long and well-established political, social and religious traditions, such as China, India and Japan, had to contend with the westernizing mission of Europe. Owing to their numerical strength and ability to ward off complete colonial subjugation, these peoples were largely able to maintain their cherished cultural practices. However it is true that no culture in the world has completely escaped the intruding influence of western culture, religion, language and philosophy. [3.145.60.166] Project MUSE (2024-04-23 17...

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