6. Religion as Tool of Imperialist Conquest
To help them govern the colony, Imperialists had to select a new “elite” loyal to them.
Most effective way was to pick those who converted to Christianity (the ‘Western’ religion).
- Converts were abandoning much of their traditional culture and values.
- Therefore, they were more alienated from their own people.
- Converts became culturally dependent on the Western imperialists, since Christianity’s history and institutions are in the West.