For the past 500 years, the idea of the mission of God has been
synonymous with that of the expansion of the Western civilisation and
its influence in the world. Christianity, being the religious foundation
of the Western civilisation as it stands today, has both justified and
been used as an instrument for the domination of the world by Western
imperial forces. Mission methods have developed that use western
supremacy and militarism as a justifiable means to convert the world and
make disciples for Christ. In Decolonizing Mission, Harvey
Kwiyani traces the history of Christian mission alongside the history of
empire, showing the influence that one had on the other. Imagining what
mission without imperialism would look like, Kwiyani sheds light on the
connection between colonialism and mission and invites us to realign
our missional methods with God’s.
Harvey C. Kwiyani is the Director of the Centre for
Global Witness and Human Migration (aka The ACTS 11 Project) at Church
Mission Society, where he also leads postgraduate studies in African
Christianity. His previous books include Multicultural Kingdom.
Originally from Malawi, he was previously the CEO of the Evangelical
Mission Association (Global Connections) and a lecturer at Liverpool
Hope University.