David Livingstone’s Vision Revisited: Christianity, Commerce and Civilization in the 21st Century

« BAM Case Study

BAM Case Study »

Business

David Livingstone’s Vision Revisited: Christianity, Commerce and Civilization in the 21st Century

By Sas Conradie ⋅ May 1, 2007 ⋅

Email This Post ⋅

Print This Post ⋅ View comments

David Livingstone has been both missionary icon and missionary villain in the past. For many he was the epitome of mission pioneering and for others an imperialistic missionary paternalist with few if any fruit.

However, it was exactly this controversial figure from whom we in the 21st Century can learn when we discuss socio-economic and spiritual transformation in communities. This article does not try to discuss the life and work of David Livingstone in depth. People like Rob Mackenzie, Andrew Ross and John Waters have all made in-depth studies of Livingstone. Neither is the article an attempt to analyse all the issues presented to us by his dreams and visions or to discuss transformation intensively.

It is more an effort to grapple with an understanding of David Livingstone’s vision for Christianity, Commerce and Civilisation in Africa and how we must understand the relationship of these 3 Cs in today’s global context.

David Livingstone’s Vision

David Livingstone had a compassion and commitment to end the slave trade through Christianising and ‘civilising’ Africa while facilitating economic ‘take-off’ that would have provided the needed economic incentives to stop the trade from continuing. His passion became to open south central Africa to Christianity and commerce as a way to combat the social ills of the continent. In essence David Livingstone realised:

People had to be set free from sins and practices (such as superstition) that prevented them from living lives that honour God.

The spread of the Good News of spiritual freedom in Christ, or Christianity, was therefore of utmost importance to Livingstone. He believed intensely that Jesus died for all and salvation is available to all, if people will only accept it. Part of his theological understanding was also that the Holy Spirit empowers people to live holy lives and move away from sin. That would enable social change when more and more people follow that example. Livingstone clearly believed in the essential relationship of saving souls and social transformation towards becoming more like Christ and live out the principles in the Bible.

People had to be set free from cultural practices that prevent social and intellectual development, including slavery.

Therefore there is a need to encourage a cultural value system that will facilitate education, health and law and order. This whole package Livingstone understood to be Civilisation. The chiefs abused their powers to enslave their own people or capturing people of neighbouring groups. To end the slave trade a change in culture was needed from within Africa as well.

People had to be set free from poverty that encourages people to sell off others into slavery.

Economic development in Africa had to be enabled through commercial activities. Commerce therefore became to Livingstone one of the key building blocks of transforming communities so that slavery could stop.

Livingstone’s strong belief in Christianity, Civilisation and Commerce as a way to end slavery and encourage social transformation had much deeper roots than his own passion. Peter Heslam indicates that “Most historians associate the slogan ‘commerce and Christianity’ with David Livingstone. Yet its origins go back to the birth of the abolitionist movement, which significantly coincided with the start of the British missionary movement. Legitimate commerce, coupled with the gospel, would cut off the slave trade at its source in Africa”.

Wilberforce and the abolitionist movement indeed had an important role in David Livingstone’s thinking. Wilberforce’s own vision for a better world “lay in the transformative potential of faith and business. … It was in pursuit of this vision that he initiated radical social transformation on a global scale”. Because Christianity and legitimate commerce both had human liberty at their core, they were destined to work together for social reform.

Rob Mackenzie emphasises the importance of the abolitionist movement’s thinking on Livingstone when he attended a meeting in Exeter Hall in the Strand by the Society for the Extinction of the Slave-Trade and for the Civilisation of Africa. “There it was proposed that Africans would only be saved from the slave-trade if they were woken up to the possibilities of selling their own produce; otherwise chiefs would continue to barbarically sell their own kind to pay for the beads, cloth, guns and trinkets they coveted. Commerce and Christianity could achieve this miracle, not Christianity alone. These ideas posed by Thomas Fowell Buxton, Wilberforce’s successor, had a major impact on David Livingstone.”

Ross expands this view by saying “If legitimate European commerce could only penetrate Africa and promote the cultivation of products Europe wanted to buy, then these could be exchanged for European goods, uplifting African standards of living and ending the slave trade. At the same time the work of Christian missions in preaching the Gospel and in developing schools would aid the process and in turn be aided by it. This was a vision of what Livingstone was to urge on the British public.”

The discussion of the relationship of Christianity and civilization was therefore not an a new idea. It had already been hotly debated in missionary circles in the 1790s and it can be argued it was the response to the social and economic transformation the UK experienced during (some would say as a result of) the revival movements in the second half of the 18th century.

Dr. John Philip of the London Missionary Society emphasized that “Civilization need not to bring Christianity, but Christianity always brings civilization.” For Dr. Philip, civilization encompasses education, but also commerce with emphasis on creative impact of free trade.

The abolitionist ideals of social transformation through commerce and Christianity became so inspirational Henry Venn (Church Missionary Society General Secretary from 1841-1873) made abolitionism through commercial enterprise a central aspect of his mission strategy. Cultivating contacts with industry, Henry Venn enlisted the support of a Christian manufacturer who agreed to import cotton at the minimum profit margin. This enabled Venn to set up the Nigerian cotton industry, giving African chiefs a viable economic alternative to the slave trade.

The belief in the heart of Livingstone therefore grew that the arrival of honest traders and missionaries would provide the opportunity to exchange the natural resources of Africa for European trade goods. This would undercut and end the slave trade, leaving the possibility of the growth of Christianity and the development of a more prosperous African society. One of the aims throughout David Livingstone’s travels was to find suitable bases “from which Christianity, civilization and commerce could play their role in transforming Africa without the violence, injustice and slavery which he believed had characterized the meeting of European and African heretofore.”

Britain could play an important role in the transformation of Africa by providing missionaries and traders to create the input of Christianity and commerce that would end the slave trade. During his visits, Livingstone tried to convince business people about the potential for trade and investment in Africa.

The vision distorted by imperial, commercial self-interest

Perhaps this passion to get the British nation more involved in spreading Christianity, Commerce and Civilisation in Africa, and the fusion of the three legs of the development of Africa, opened the door for some as a pretext for imperial exploitation. “In the decade of the Scramble for Africa, 1885-1895, when Africa was parcelled up by the powers of Europe, leading imperialist statesmen and political commentators were agreed in describing the movement as Europe’s response to Livingstone’s famous appeal to the outside world to intervene to end the east African slave trade. The whole effort was one intended to fulfil Livingstone’s dream of a peaceful and prosperous development of Africa.”. Livingstone became the patron saint of liberal imperialism and for many he emerged as a paternalist and colonialist. His ideas and vision of the fusion of Christianity and commerce was used to morally justify and glorify British Empire.

Through this process of building and enriching the Empire, the three Cs that Livingstone was so passionate about became distorted in a way he himself did not intend:

• Christianity had been used by Imperial powers to open areas for expansion and to pacify communities. The result was that people were burdened by Christianity as perceived Western religion and tried to get away from that as expressed for example in the Mai-Mai uprising in Kenya. Christianity came to be seen in many cases as the religion of the white-man and of the oppressor

• Civilisation had been used to impose the will of the Imperial powers and to conform communities to the example of “Civilised Europe” in order to produce goods for the “Mother country”. The result was that people were burdened by the perceived Western way of life. Civilisation therefore became synonymous with colonialism and oppression.

• Commerce had been used to advance the economic interest and self-enrichment of the imperial powers and individuals such as Cecil John Rhodes while using the natural resources and cheap labour of local communities. The result was that people were burdened with the psychological and social impact of labour abuse. Commerce became synonymous with multi-national capitalism that enriches a few and impoverishes the masses.

Livingstone’s dream of Christianity and commerce, combining to produce what W.W. Rostow has called ‘take-off’ in terms of Africa’s development, therefore did not work out the way he envisaged. The demand of industrialised countries for ivory, combined with the East African slave trade, was a barrier enough to the achievement of that hope being realised, even before the powerful worldwide imperialist expansion of the industrialised countries in the last decades of the nineteenth century finally killed it. Other factors discouraged investment such as Africa’s geography that makes transportation of goods difficult and health conditions that prevent trading from really taking off.

David Livingstone’s vision redeemed

The mistakes of the past are generally acknowledged today. Even though I would argue that the link between empire, mission and commercial exploitation was forged and often forced upon by imperial and commercial motivation and instigation, it has to be admitted that people became uneasy about the link between Christianity, Civilisation and Commerce. I propose that by dealing with the negative image related to the 3 themes, we can redeem what David Livingstone and other mission leaders in the 19th Century were so passionate about.

Christianity

People still have spiritual needs, but with the problems related to the term Christianity, it might be needed to return to the roots of Christianity, the Bible, and start talking about Biblical Faith instead of Christianity. That will be acceptable even to Muslims.

Ron Sider, in his popular book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, argues that some religious worldviews tend to create a fatalistic attitude towards poverty. For example, Hinduism teaches that those in the lower castes are there because of sinful choices in prior incarnations. Only by patiently enduring their present situation can they hope for a better life in future incarnations. Eastern religions de-emphasise the importance of history and material reality considering them illusions to escape.

A South African bishop once told me that people in the rural areas in South Africa are so fearful of evil spirits that they do not take initiative to improve their lives. Biblical faith affirms the goodness of the created world and teaches that the Creator and Lord of history cares for the poor. People can be set free from the fear of evil spirits and experience forgiveness and total renewal by experiencing the life-giving ministry of Jesus Christ. However, people in their totality need to change and not only ‘book a place in heaven’.

Missionaries therefore must teach the whole Gospel and not only salvation of souls. If God cares for the poor, then missionaries should preach that same message. Teach ‘all that I’ve commanded you’ includes caring for the poor and needy.

Civilization

People still have social and emotional needs and need to be freed from values and cultural practices that prevent social-economic and emotional growth. The society needs to be transformed according to the principles of the Bible that is the foundation of today’s civilisation, not according to the imposed will from Imperial powers, but from within the community.

It is therefore better to talk about Social Transformation instead of Civilisation, a term that is a buzz word in global society. Encouraging steps had been taken in this direction. During the past decade there was an effort to say that social problems do concern the church, that they are also the church’s problems and the church must deal with them.

Hidden behind this attitude is an incorrect ecclesiology and an incorrect dichotomy in the understanding of the church-society relationship. It is very important for Christians to realize their responsibility towards their communities and what happens in their communities since they are members of society. The church must therefore direct itself towards transforming and engaging with society and not to try to escape from it.

Commerce

People still have physical needs and needs employment to provide in these needs. What is needed is not Commerce that enriches just a few, but a form of economic activity that will benefit a whole community.

Such activity where people engage in business for the sake of others and not only themselves, can be called Enterprise Development, another term that is acceptable in community development circles and used all over the world. It is therefore better to talk about Enterprise Development than of Commerce in order to indicate this qualitative difference in business activities.

David Livingstone’s Redeemed Vision – Different models for relating Biblical Faith, Enterprise Development and Social Transformation

Before I propose a model of how Biblical Faith, Enterprise Development and Community/Social Transformation can be integrated, I just want to briefly mention some models of how the relationship of these themes had been viewed in the past:

The Escapist Model

In this model, Biblical Faith has nothing to do with Enterprise Development or Social Transformation. It might touch these themes but has very little to do with it. Sometimes any link with business or social issues is seen as very negative or even evil. Saving souls is the only task of the Church and of Christians.

The result is people who make a commitment to Christ only want to become full-time Christian workers, perhaps caring for the sick and needy in their midst but very little more. Christian service is in essence the only legitimate career for Christians. Quite often they leave their jobs in businesses to become full-time Christian workers.

Global commercial enterprise is a dubious affair that impoverishes the rich spiritually and the poor materially. As Paul Stevens mentions in his book Doing God’s Business: Meaning and Motivation for the Marketplace: “The church has a long history of antipathy towards business, except for the value attributed to businesspeople who give their tithes and sit on church boards.” This attitude has its roots in centuries of Church hostility towards making money. Paul for example says the love of money is the root of all sorts of social evil. This attitude might also be rooted in the teaching of Jesus in which very little is mentioned about commerce. The underlying point that Jesus is making is only spiritual and relates very little to business.

The danger of this model is that it can lead to:

i. Ecclesiological escapism where the focus is only on the spiritual needs in a community and the social and economic conditions are totally neglected. We see that in Africa today where Christianity has grown dramatically while churches are poor and somehow unable or unwilling to transform the social problems such as corruption in their countries.

ii. Atheistic socialism where religion is seen as the opium of people and private enterprises are believed to oppress the community. This model proved unsustainable with the fall of communism.

iii. Secular commercialism where the focus is only on the commercial interests and what kind of monetary value can be extracted from communities. Very little space if any at all is provided for faith.

The Chain Model

In this model, Biblical Faith overlaps slightly with Community Transformation but not at all with Enterprise Development. Mission has nothing to do with business and very little with social action through caring for the poor in their midst. The different spheres form a chain from Biblical Faith towards Enterprise Development.

The Cyclic Model

Biblical Faith facilitates Social Transformation through the changed values of Christians who come to faith through evangelism. Social Transformation facilitates Enterprise Development through an improved business climate as a result of improved social stability. Enterprise Development facilitates Biblical Faith in return through more money given to the church through increased wealth of church members. That gives more financial resources for evangelism to change more people, etc – the process becomes a cycle.

David Livingstone’s Redeemed Vision: the Kingdom Model

With the problems related to the above models, I want to suggest the Kingdom Model as more integrated model to explain the relationship between Biblical Faith, Social Transformation and Enterprise Development.

Biblical Faith

Bible becomes the norm for life and conduct and not perceived Western traditions. The Bible and not Western Christianity is being taught. This brings people into a personal relationship with God to experience spiritual freedom.

In this way spiritual transformation is facilitated. Evangelism is a call to transformation and changing behavior and culture. Knowledge of, closeness to, healing by, and commissioning from Jesus therefore, constitute the transformation of the disciple and of ourselves. Biblical Faith empowers people to understand God loves them, they can love themselves and they have to love their neighbours.

This message transforms their lives so they get the courage to start businesses through which they can provide for themselves and their families and through that glorify God. These believers then transform the community around them by encouraging a lifestyle based on the Biblical message that results in improved community care.

Social Transformation

The Biblical principles are lived out. Communities are helped to develop a value system that facilitates trust and responsibility, increases productivity and enables communities to care for one another. Communities and individuals experience emotional and social freedom.

Traditional God glorifying values such as the African concept of Ubuntu are integrated into the transformation process. Social transformation could be facilitated through discussion groups in community and expressed through community action and voluntary service. Greater involvement from Christians in community structures facilitates improved social care and the eradication of negative values in the community.

This is what happened in the UK with the Abolitionist Movement. At the same time these Christian community leaders used their involvement as a witness to the Biblical message that motivated them and in that way they spread Biblical Faith while they are involved in the community.

Christians in this sphere can start social enterprises such as trading networks, provision of low cost housing, essential services for the poor in the community and environmental initiatives as business initiatives to generate income for the community. Gittins wrote, “The mission we undertake in the spirit of Jesus is a mission that transforms all who are involved; in fact, the mission has as its very purpose the transformation of all things and persons, to bring them into closer conformity with Christ.”

Enterprise Development

Local communities take control of their own economic development. Local job creation and sustainable wealth creation is encouraged. Companies and individuals from outside are encouraged to invest in sustainable commercial activities. Education provides the basis for enterprise development. Economic and physical freedom is experienced and economic transformation is facilitated. Enterprise Development includes the provision of capital for the poor to earn their own way through, for example, micro-loan programmes as well as increased trading opportunities for local business people, access to markets, and the development of fair trade initiatives. Enterprise development becomes a means of church planting, social service and transformation, community building and grappling with unjust practices.

The relationship between Biblical Faith, Social Transformation and Enterprise Development

The best way to understand the relationship is three overlapping circles with the aim of developing self-sustainable communities of believers in Jesus Christ (Christians in churches) who transform their society by adhering to God-given principles. With Christ at the centre, these communities of believers expand the overlapping area so Christ will become more and more the centre of the life of the society in which these believers live.

At the heart of this understanding of the relationship between Biblical Faith, Social Transformation and Enterprise Development is the idea that the Kingdom of God needs to become a reality in a society or community. The concept of the Kingdom of God within a mission context had been very well explained in the book The Good News of the Kingdom: Mission Theology for the Third Millennium, edited by Charles van Engen, Dean Gilliland and Paul Pierson. In an article in this book, Van Engen emphasizes believers in Jesus are living in the dialectic of the Kingdom of God that has already come in Jesus, but yet is still coming when He will come again. The already and not yet character of God’s rule means the Church and its mission constitute an interim sign. In the power of the Spirit, the Church points all humanity backward to its origins in God’s creation and forward to the present and coming Kingdom in Jesus Christ.

While establishing signs of the Kingdom of God in their society, believers in Jesus:

• Care for others in such a way that God’s grace brings about a radical and total transformation through faith (2 Cor 5:17)

• Believe together they can change the world. As the believers participate in God’s mission, God’s reign comes when people accept Jesus as Lord, and in obedience see God’s will be done on heaven as it is on earth. This involves economic justice and stewardship, structural and societal change as well as personal transformation. It involves the whole person, not only the spiritual aspects and all of life and not only the ecclesiastical.

• Live out the Kingdom’s ethics and call people and structures to be reconciled with creation, with themselves, with each other and with God (2 Cor 5:18-21). This life-style is deeply and creatively transformational for it seeks to be a sign of the present and coming Kingdom of God. Through that the believers recognize their profound commitment to radical transformation in their societies.

Livingstone’s vision implemented

Livingstone’s vision to develop Africa spiritually, economically and socially had a profound impact on the global mission movement. For example, David Scott developed the Blantyre Mission in present day Malawi as a small missionary community intended to act with the cooperation of the African Lakes Company as a cultural and economic as well as religious catalyst within African society.

This vision also finds its expression in the concept of holistic mission where the emphasis is on the church as vehicle for the transformation of society and catalyst for economic development. This analysis is in line with the conclusions on the future priorities in world evangelisation as suggested by Viggo Sogaard after the Global Inquiry on World Evangelisation: “The emphasis here is on a holistic gospel that not only transforms an individual person, but it will have transforming consequences for societies, for trade and economics, for law, and for human rights.”

Modern day examples of this vision include:

a) The Samaritan Strategy (www.samaritan-strategy-africa.org…) that encourages social transformation and enterprise development out of a better understanding of the Biblical message.

b) Various forms of Christian Community Computer Centers (www.techmission.org…) used to transform society and sometimes facilitate enterprise development from a Christian base that also intends to bring people to Christ.

c) The Lared Business Network (www.lared.org…), which uses a serious of principles based on the Bible that can be discussed in small groups to change the values in communities and through that encourage entrepreneurship and enterprise development.

d) Various Business as Mission Initiatives amongst Unreached People Groups, although in some cases the emphasis is much more on the link between Biblical Faith and Enterprise Development and less on Social Transformation.

However there remain many challenges in the 21st Century to achieve the dreams of David Livingstone in terms of developing self-sustainable believers in Jesus Christ who can transform their communities.

Possibilities

Countries such as Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and Uganda have a real passion for community transformation, enterprise development and Biblical Faith. Rwanda and Burundi are emerging as peaceful nations after years of genocide and conflict. Both these countries now have Christian presidents who ask the global Christian community to assist in spreading the Gospel, changing the values in the community and to develop enterprises. There is a real possibility that Livingstone’s vision could become a reality in these countries. The challenge to Christians in the international community is to accept that invitation and get involved in these countries, including investing in commercial enterprises.

There is a growing acknowledgement that mistakes have been made in the past by following the Escapist, Chain and Facilitating Models instead of the Kingdom Model. The result is endemic corruption, tribal conflict and religious syncretism. Many churches and mission initiatives are now taking steps towards a more Kingdom-oriented Model of understanding the relationship between Biblical Faith, Social Transformation and Enterprise Development. Theological institutions are teaching this model although much more has to be done.

The growing integration between Biblical Faith, Enterprise Development and Social Transformation has the potential to decrease dependency on so-called Western resources. As indigenous churches and ministries see their task not only as spiritual but also economical and social they will be enabled to generate much more of their own financial resources for their own ministries. That makes the Kingdom Model essential in Christian communities.

Sharing wealth in a globalised world

The 21st Century is a totally different world than that in which David Livingstone worked. Technological advances in travel and communication made the world a global village. This is part of God’s design for the world, since He made humanity an inter-connected community with some resources (wealth) in some places and other resources in other places. This is why we have globalisation. Within this inter-connected globalised community it is important for wealth to be shared to the benefit of all. This wealth or capital includes knowledge, spiritual, social and monetary wealth. The Kingdom Model of Biblical Faith, Enterprise Development and Social Transformation must therefore become a reality not only in one community. Ways have to be found to link “Kingdom communities” with one another to facilitate and increase wealth exchange or better said wealth interchange. The following diagramme illustrates this need:

The environmental context: the Quadruple Bottom Line Model

There is a growing acknowledgement that we live in a very fragile creation. Not only Biblical Faith, Enterprise Development and Social Transformation is needed, but these spheres of life have to take the environmental context in which they operate into account. Christians have a Biblical mandate to care for the environment while unrestrained commercial development will result in increased environmental destruction that will result in economic collapse in the future. Environmental destruction will increase social problems as communities and individuals fight with one another to obtain scarce resources such as water.

The concept of the quadruple bottom line has therefore been developed to describe the environmental responsibility, social transformation, economic development and the spiritual growth in communities. Within the framework of the Kingdom Model as described previously, the quadruple bottom line model might be illustrated as follows:

Conclusion

Born within the Abolitionist Movement, David Livingstone’s vision of Christianity, Civilisation and Commerce had a profound impact on the mission movement in the 19th Century. Unfortunately this vision had been distorted by colonialism and imperialism. Many Christians and mission initiatives became reluctant to implement this vision and shied away of commerce and social involvement. Fortunately there is a growing number of Christian initiatives today that take the vision seriously and present it in a different form. The challenge for these initiatives is to find a way to develop a Kingdom Model of ministry that integrates the different spheres of aspects of Livingstone’s vision. In a globalised world this Model is more than ever needed either it be in well-reached communities in Africa or unreached areas of Asia and the Middle East. Perhaps it is time to even go beyond the Kingdom Model and put it within the framework of environmental care as described in the Quadruple Bottom Line Model of mission. n

Additional Readings

Rob Mackenzie, David Livingston: the truth behind the legend, Fig Tree Publications (Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe), 1993

Andrew C. Ross, David Livingstone: Mission and Empire, Hambledon and London (London), 2002

John Waters, David Livingstone – Trail Blazer, InterVarsity Press (Leicester, UK), 1996

Peter Heslam, “William Wilberforce: how transforming business can turn the tide of history”, Faith in Business 10:4 (April 2007), pp. 3-4.

Ronald Sider, Rich Christians in an age of Hunger, Hodder and Stoughton (London), 1997

Paul R. Stevens, Doing God’s Business: Meaning and Motivation for the Marketplace, William B Eerdmans Publishing Company (Grand Rapids), 2006

Stephen Green, “Sustainable Shareholder Value: Why Values Matter”, Faith in Business 10:4 (April 2007), pp. 13-18.

Anthony J. Gittins, Bread for the Journey – The Mission of Transformation and the Transformation of Mission, Orbis Books (Maryknoll), 1993.

Charles Van Engen, Dean S. Gilliland and Paul Pierson, eds., The Good News of the Kingdom: Mission Theology for the Third Millennium, Orbis Books (Maryknoll), 1993

Viggo Sogaard, “Evangelizing our World: Insights from Global Inquiry”; 2004 Forum for World Evangelization (Thailand), 2004.

Darrow L. Miller and Scott Allen, “Against All Hope: Hope for Africa”, Samaritan Strategy Africa Working Group (Nairobi, Kenya), 2005.

Sas Conradie, “Christian Community Computer Centers (C4s): Transforming Communities through Information Sharing and Technology,” Transformation 24:2 (2007), pp. 102-109