Introduction

This chapter introduces Charlemagne’s conquest and conversion of the Saxons as a critical case study for understanding methods of Christianization in the broader history of global missions. The methods therein are introduced and juxtaposed to the reductionist presentation of conversion as a singular profound event, which is at odds with the majority of documented anthropological and historical conversion scenarios. Instead, religious transformation is more often the result of various interconnected forces of coercion and incentivization. By looking closely at these various forces, scholars can more accurately comprehend the nuances of Early Medieval Christianization in Europe and the similarities replicated in subsequent Colonial missions, as well as address the complex nature of what conversion often meant or implied.