ABSTRACT
Christian missionaries who preceded or followed the European flag in Africa are in general regarded as part of the colonization effort. In the nineteenth century, missionaries saw themselves as pioneers, bringing the ‘blessings’ of Western civilization and the Christian gospel to the ‘Dark Continent,’ often at the price of deprivation, illness, and even death. Looking more deeply into Christian mission history, questions arise in how far the general notion of the missionary as an agent of colonial rule can be fully accepted. The relationship between mission and colonial state was not always a harmonious one. Looking more deeply into Christian mission history, questions arise in how far the general notion of the missionary as an agent of colonial rule can be fully accepted. The relationship between mission and colonial state was not always a harmonious one. The biographies of the repatriates illuminate the engagement of African Americans in the ‘civilizing mission’ effort on the background of European imperialism.
