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

Decolonizing Christianity's timely exploration of themes such as the relationship between religion and politics, Christian-Muslim relations, and the legacy of colonialism in France and North Africa, clarifies both history and current events for scholars and students of France and its empire, global religious history, and many other related fields.

Decolonizing Christianity traces the dramatic transformation of Christianity from its position as the moral foundation of European imperialism to its role 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 Algeria who undertook a mission to ''decolonize the Church'' and ensure the future of Christianity in postcolonial Algeria. But it also recovers the personal aspects of decolonization, as many of these Christians were arrested and tortured by the French for their support of Algerian independence. The consequences of these actions were immense, as the theological and social engagement of Christians in Algeria then influenced the groundbreaking reforms developing within global Christianity in the 1960s.