Missionary Conquest: The Gospel and Native American Cultural Genocide

by George E. Tinker

George Tinker's fascinating probe into U.S. mission history pierces the romantic veil of most history writing and shows how four of the most noted Christian missionariesmen of the highest moral character, the best of intentions, and sincere commitment to the gospelconfused gospel values and European cultural values, often with lethal results.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, Indigenous, Native American, Social Justice, Theology

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One might be tempted to write these stories off (collusion by missionaries as a means to subdue Native Americans) as ancient history, but the effects are long lasting, even into the 21st century. And as a person who works with a group of Native Americans in Central America, so much of what Tinker writes about as having occurred centuries before in the USA continues to occur with them. The book is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in an honest assessment of missionary activities in western Christian history. Paying special attention to the ways that culture influences--not for the good--our interpretation of God and Scripture. This is something we continue to struggle with today, and it is only by honestly assessing our collective efforts of the past and present that we will have a hope of being a positive transformational presence in the future.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent work and a must read.

[Dan Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

George E. Tinker, a Native American theologian, argues that Christian missionaries perpetrated cultural genocide upon North America’s native peoples, so that the Gospel became a cloak for Euro-American economics, culture, and politics. He writes not only to give a historical exposé of missionaries like Bartolomé de las Casas, Junípero Serra, and John Eliot, but also to help Native American Christians decolonize their religious faith. Tinker shows briefly but thoroughly how Eliot supported the Puritan government, how Serra ruled like a dictator in California, how Pierre-Jean De Smet allied with trappers and failed to communicate with Native Americans, and how Henry Benjamin Whipple helped the U.S. government take away Sioux lands. Ultimately, Tinker wants white Americans to see that these missionaries’ good intentions still decimated native cultures, and he wants Native Americans to reject missionary/colonial assumptions, which have even infiltrated revisionist New Age religions. (Tinker sees community as a major part of native culture traditionally, whereas white-led New Age movements stress individualism.) This is powerful, well-researched stuff; one wishes it was longer and explored more historical anecdotes than simply four biographies.

[Diana Biggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is essentially a text book - well written, well researched - but not much I didn't already know. That doesn't make it a bad book, just wasn't too excited about it.