Missionary Conquest: The Gospel and Native American Cultural Genocide

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Summary: The only one around!!
Review: I used this book in my senior thesis paper on Plateau Indian Culture and Presbyterian Missions in the 1830-40's. It did not only help me with understanding impacts of missionary work, but was written in a way that opened my eyes to deep thoughts of humanity, religion, selfishness and ethnocentricity. It is an eye-opener and a gift to any scholar's mind!!! READ IT!

Rating:
Summary: Radically Changes Our Understanding
Review: Tinker's work is quite effective in exposing the ego-driven selfishness involved in the missionary exploits of Christianity's "main heroic missionaries." The common understanding has been that "they meant well, but were a product of their time." Tinker's keen research into the primary texts of these very missionaries (using their own letters, journals, first hand accounts) exposes the truth: that these missionaries reaped personal gain from the policies of colonial genocide. There are those who would discount Tinker's words and research as hysteria, but in light of Tinkers voluminous citations in the Notes section, it is clear that Tinker has the truth on his side. Also, I appreciated his attention to the existence of "New Age" practices as a not-so-subtle form of neo-colonialism. Wonderful effective piece of research and recovery of the true history of missionary colonialism.