To Rid the I talian Soul of One Dark Blot: Recognising Race in W hite C hristian Religion

This article describes white C hristian missionary uses of racial imagery for assimilating early twentieth‐century immigrants into U . S . society. In early twentieth‐century A merica, white M ethodist missionaries sought to convert I talian immigrants from so‐called “pagans” to “one hundred percent...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religious history 2015-09, Vol.39 (3), p.370-385
Main Author: Evans, David F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This article describes white C hristian missionary uses of racial imagery for assimilating early twentieth‐century immigrants into U . S . society. In early twentieth‐century A merica, white M ethodist missionaries sought to convert I talian immigrants from so‐called “pagans” to “one hundred percent A mericans” by distancing them from racial darkness. In their attempt to convert the objects of their evangelism, M ethodists syncretised secular marketing and metaphorical images and trained their audiences in a racial conversion narrative. In spite of their effort to combat the racial limitations of perceived I talian darkness, missionaries' use of darkness and light metaphors in conversion narratives reinscribed a racial M anichean dualism in their missionary practices and publications.
ISSN:0022-4227
1467-9809
DOI:10.1111/1467-9809.12161