"America, the Almoner of the World": Evangelicals and International Humanitarianism in a Globalizing Age

Since the mid-twentieth century, American evangelicals have become increasingly influential within the arena of international humanitarianism through agencies such as World Vision – the largest Christian relief and development organization in the world in 2011.  This presentation traces the historical roots of contemporary evangelical humanitarianism and considers the relationship between the extension of American philanthropy abroad and global Christian expansion.  Beginning in the 1890s, I argue, evangelical periodicals like the interdenominational Christian Herald played a pivotal role in the development of humanitarianism in and beyond the United States.  By alerting Americans to calamities occurring around the globe (massacres in Armenia; exploitation in the Congo; famine in India, China, and elsewhere) and urging readers to contribute to relief campaigns, the Christian Herald encouraged citizens of the United States to envision themselves as “saviors” to “persecuted,” “destitute,” and “helpless” people throughout the world.

While analyzing the Christian Herald’s efforts to serve as a conduit for the “world-wide charity of the American nation” exposes the inextricable connections between international philanthropy and U.S. expansionism, this study also highlights countervailing impulses arising from efforts to imagine and enact a global Christian fellowship.  Alongside articles heralding America as “the Almoner of the World,” the Christian Herald published accounts of Middle Eastern, African and Asian Christians who worked closely with Western missionaries to promote humanitarian intervention and assuage suffering within their communities.  Attending to these stories, I argue, compels us to revise interpretations that easily equate philanthropic projects with unmitigated or unidirectional cultural imperialism.  Although the influence of western mores – and particularly of American evangelicalism – is undeniable, careful scrutiny of specific case studies suggests that the development of humanitarianism was an intercultural enterprise involving creative alliances among Christians of diverse nationalities who saw themselves as members of a universal community pursuing common aims.