Heathens and Humanitarians: On the Possibility of Redemptive Futures.

Kathryn Gin Lum's book, "Heathen: Religion and Race in American History," explores the history of Christian efforts to save the "heathen" and how these ideas continue to shape American ways of conceptualizing and managing race. The book challenges the assumption that race replaced religion as modernity's primary marker for difference and shows how religious ideas, particularly Christian ones, have continued to inform American views on race. Gin Lum argues that the concept of heathenism remains alive today, perpetuating the idea that people in the so-called "Third World" are suffering victims in need of salvation from Americans. In contrast, Lucia Hulsether's book, "Capitalist Humanitarianism," exposes the capitalist delusions behind neoliberal humanitarian initiatives like microfinance and fair trade. Hulsether critiques these initiatives for facilitating economic exploitation while allowing well-meaning elites to feel good about themselves. Both books raise important questions about the entanglements of race, religion, and global capitalism, urging historians and scholars of religion to consider the ongoing power of these ideas and structures. [Extracted from the article]