Christianity and Democracy: The Pioneering Protestants

Abstract

According to cross-national research, Protestantism has significantly contributed to global democratization. While Protestantism does not inevitably cause democratization, it often generates social dynamics that favor it. Some of the most important of these are: 1) the rise of religious pluralism; 2) the development of democratic theory and practice; 3) the development of civil society; 4) the spread of mass education; 5) printing and the origins of a public sphere; 6) the reduction of corruption; and 7) economic development. The article explores how Protestant groups, including Protestant missionaries, have promoted these dynamics in the past. It also argues that contemporary Protestant movements—particularly Pentecostalism—are continuing to do so in the present, though with less dramatic results.

Faith-Based International Development Work: A Review

“…Since the dawn of the 19th century, American Protestant denominations have sent volunteers and paid missionaries to spread their teachings worldwide, including places that were considered unsafe such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America [16]. Many Catholic missionaries and organizations brought technology and knowledge to remote parts of the world for hundreds of years.…”

Protestantism and Human Capital in Guatemala and the Republic of Korea

“…Robert Woodberry's cross-country analysis (Woodberry and Shah 2004;Woodberry 2009Woodberry , 2011 on Protestant missions shows a positive effect of Protestantism on education and democratic institutions. Nathan Nunn (2009) finds that Protestants were successful in converting Africans to their brand of Christianity within the context of offering medical services and educational opportunities.…”

“…A long-held view is that Protestant missions contributed to increased human capital through mass education (Woodberry 2002(Woodberry , 2004(Woodberry , 2009Nunn 2009). This argument holds true for societies with few converts to Protestantism (Woodberry and Shah 2004: 55).…”

“…However, once having developed an indigenous alphabet, the missionaries were confronted with the daunting task of educating lay leaders who preached in their communities. As Woodberry (2004), Nunn (2009), and Bogenschild (1991 point out, Protestant missionaries set up schools that taught national elites the colonial language. Mass literacy was not the objective of these schools.…”

How Religious is American Foreign Policy?

“…As laudable as this cause may seem (Grim and Finke 2007;Woodberry and Shah 2004), it is hardly in keeping with an aim of making US foreign policy that is attuned to global religious sensitivities. Jean-Franc¸ois Mayer (2008) argued that missionary proselytism can reinforce the image of a clash of civilisations (especially when Christians attempt to convert Muslims, or vice versa) and is often seen in the developing world as a threat to national identity and autonomy from powerful countries such as the US.…”