Colonization has been an important factor in the world's history since pre-Christian times but the particular concern of this study is the rise and decline of Europe as a colonial power. The book is divided into three parts. The first describes the historical importance of colonization; the second examines the rôle played by Christianity in colonization and finally the author looks at the implications of decolonization. The author underlines the distinction between colonization and evangelization, stressing that the former is a process of purely temporal aims whereas the latter involves the promulgation of the word of God, which is a Christian duty, with a view to furthering a Kingdom not of this wcrld. The author demonstrates how it was a confusion between these two concepts which led
to many of the typical excesses among the Christian pioneers of European colonization. The perpetual conflict in colonial affairs was between the customs and traditional patterns of behaviour of the colonial people (in no need of reform unless they conflicted with religion and morality) and the way of life the missionaries and the coloniai powers brought with them. The process of decolonization is important, for Christianity is anxious to see in what direction the new independent countries will movement.