Decolonizing Christianity: Religion and the End of Empire in France and Algeria

270 Pages·2016·2.14 MB·English

by  Darcie Fontaine

DECOLONIZING CHRISTIANITY
Decolonizing Christianity traces the dramatic transformation of Christianity
fromitspositionasthemoralfoundationofEuropeanimperialismtoitsrole
as a radical voice of political and social change in the era of decolonization.
As Christians renegotiated their place in the emerging Third World, they
confronted the consequences of racism and violence that Christianity had
reinforced in European colonies. This book tells the story of Christians in
Algeriawhoundertookamissionto“decolonizetheChurch”andensurethe
futureofChristianityinpostcolonialAlgeria.Butitalsorecoversthepersonal
aspectsofdecolonization,asmanyoftheseChristianswerearrestedandtortured
bytheFrenchfortheirsupportofAlgerianindependence.Theconsequences
of these actions were immense, as the theological and social engagement of
ChristiansinAlgeriatheninfluencedthegroundbreakingreformsdeveloping
withinglobalChristianityinthe1960s.
darciefontaineisanassistantprofessorofhistoryattheUniversityofSouth
Florida.Sheistherecipientofnumerousfellowshipstosupportherresearchin
EuropeandNorthAfrica,includingaFulbright-IIEfellowshiptoFranceand
multiplegrantsfromtheAmericanInstituteofMaghribStudies.Herscholar-
shipsituatesthehistoryofmodernFranceanditsempireinaglobalperspective,
andseekstotracethelong-termimpactofcolonialismanddecolonizationona
widespectrumofactors,institutions,andideas.Sheiscurrentlycompletinga
textbookonFranceanditsempirefromtheeighteenthcenturytothepresent.

Decolonizing Christianity
Religion and the End of Empire in
France and Algeria
darcie fontaine
UniversityofSouthFlorida
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(cid:2)C DarcieFontaine2016
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Firstpublished2016
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabySheridanBooks,Inc
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Fontaine,Darcie,1980–author.
DecolonizingChristianity:religionandtheendofempireinFranceand
Algeria/DarcieFontaine.
NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,2016.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
lccn2016008820 isbn9781107118171
lcsh:Algeria–Churchhistory–20thcentury. Postcolonialism–Algeria.
Decolonization–Algeria.
lccbr1400.f662016 ddc276.5/082–dc23
lcrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2016008820
isbn978-1-107-11817-1Hardback
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forexternalorthird-partyInternetWebsitesreferredtointhispublicationanddoesnot
guaranteethatanycontentonsuchWebsitesis,orwillremain,accurateorappropriate.
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BobandBeverlyFontaine,
andtoAaronWalker

Contents
Acknowledgments pageix
Abbreviations xv
Introduction.............................................1
1 ChristianityandFrenchAlgeria..........................23
2 ChristianityonTrial:TheBattletoDefineChristian
Morality...............................................68
3 TheMetropolitansRespond:TheConflictsofPoliticsand
Conscience ........................................... 106
4 TheReligiousPoliticsofIndependence..................146
5 InventingPostcolonialChristianity...................... 172
Conclusion............................................214
Bibliography 225
Index 243
vii