Christianize

Christianize is a transitive verb meaning to cause to become Christian or to bring under Christian influence. It can refer to individual conversion or to broader cultural, social, or political changes associated with adopting Christian institutions, beliefs, and practices. The term originates from Latin Christianus "Christian" and the English suffix -ize, first attested in early modern English; the noun Christianization is used for the process or result.

In historical contexts, Christianization describes efforts to spread Christianity through missionary activity, evangelism, and baptism. Major examples include the late Roman Empire and the medieval conversion of various European peoples, such as the Franks, Anglo-Saxons, and Slavs, often linked to political alliances and state formation. The term is also applied to the Christianization of colonized regions and indigenous peoples in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, where missionary work intersected with colonial governance. In these contexts, Christianization has been the subject of considerable debate due to coercive methods, cultural suppression, and the harms associated with forced or facilitated conversions.

In contemporary usage, "Christianize" can describe deliberate efforts to promote Christian education, churches, or legal and moral influence of Christianity within a society, but many scholars distinguish between voluntary religious conversion and state-sponsored or coercive assimilation. Related topics include missionary work, evangelism, baptism, and religious conversion, as well as the historical processes of Christianization in specific regions.