1
I decided to read Chapter 2 of The Chance of Salvation: A History of Conversion in
America. In this chapter, Lincoln Mullen explores the conversion of the Cherokee people and the
intricate relationship between Native American spirituality and Christian missionary activities.
Mullen's investigation of this chapter helps us to grasp better the Cherokee people's varied
difficulties in embracing a new faith and their responsiveness to Christianity.
The chapter opens with the Cherokee people's openness to the Christian message—
especially thanks to missionaries like Daniel Butrick and John Huss. Many Cherokee people
were open to the lessons these missionaries brought and were eager to spread Christianity. The
Cherokee people who converted did so with3great dedication, embracing Christian doctrines,
rites, and the Bible, which they translated into their mother tongue.1 This translation was a major
turning point since it helped the Cherokee people embrace Christianity and3symbolized a
blending of their traditional identity with their new religious convictions. The U.S. government's
enforced Indian Removal Acts caused great conflict throughout the period of time these
conversions occurred. The approaching relocation made the Cherokee people face tough choices
about their spiritual life, land, and future. Some Cherokee people who converted to Christianity
started to participate more actively in the debates about their expulsion, applying their newly
acquired faith as a guide in overcoming obstacles. Adoption of Christianity, meanwhile, was not
without controversy. Owen notes that traditional Cherokee beliefs—including creation stories
and ceremonies—often ran counter to Christian ideas, especially those pushed by Southern
evangelicals.2
1 Mullen, Lincoln. The Chance of Salvation: A History of Conversion in America. Harvard University Press, 2017.
2Owen, Christopher. ""to Refrain From...Political Affairs": Southern Evangelicals, Cherokee Missions, and the
Spirituality of the Church." Tennessee Quarterly, 1994: 20-29.
2
The Cherokee people's conception of creation and the cardinal directions—which they
connected with many races, including the Blue man, Black man, White man, and Redman—
created one of the major areas of conflict. According to this belief system, every community had
a road that did not always coincide with the universalism Christianity promotes. The Cherokee
challenged the idea that Christian lessons extended equally across many civilizations by arguing
that what was beneficial for the White man was not always good for the Red man.3 As the text
notes, the main objective of the missionaries was to lead the Cherokee people to Christ.
Although Cherokee beliefs and Christian teachings shared many elements, outside influences
hindered the change. Economic hardships compounded the problems the Cherokee people
experienced, particularly the loss of territory to European immigrants. Essential for farming and
hunting, their territory was vital for their survival; its loss would greatly affect their capacity to
keep their family and way of life. The attempts of President George Washington to "humanize"
the Cherokee by including them in the Union added more layers of cultural integration that many
were not ready to embrace, therefore aggravating their predicament.4 These elements finally
turned into major obstacles to the general Cherokee conversion to Christianity. Those who did
convert were sometimes viewed as belonging to a privileged group, which affected society's
general attitude toward the new faith. The missionaries' commitment to comprehending
Cherokee culture and merging it with Christian teachings was vital in enabling these
conversions. Still, it also underlined the careful balance between honoring indigenous customs
and advancing a new religious ideology.5
3 Mullen, Lincoln. The Chance of Salvation: A History of Conversion in America. Harvard University Press, 2017.
4 Ibid
5Owen, Christopher. ""to Refrain From...Political Affairs": Southern Evangelicals, Cherokee Missions, and the
Spirituality of the Church." Tennessee Quarterly, 1994: 20-29.
3
Mullen's look at the Cherokee conversion highlights the difficulties of embracing
Christian beliefs and principles inside the Cherokee way of life. Apart from converting,
missionaries fulfilled the function of cultural middlemen honoring and interacting with Cherokee
customs. Referring to their first concert as "First Fruits," early Moravian missionaries note their
significance—which indicated a unique status among the Christianized Cherokee.6 These early
converts were sometimes considered as more privileged, a status that divided the Cherokee
people even while it helped them inside the society. Particularly, the Moravians were crucial
peacemakers, helping the Cherokee people in times of need and bridging the cultural divide with
hymns and gospel teachings.7 Finally, this chapter thoroughly summarizes the difficulties and
nuances related to the Cherokee people's conversion to Christianity. Although missionaries'
efforts to comprehend and incorporate Cherokee customs into their Christian teachings were
crucial in enabling these conversions, the larger social, economic, and political obstacles faced
by the Cherokee finally limited the degree of their complete involvement in the Christian faith.
6 Mullen, Lincoln. The Chance of Salvation: A History of Conversion in America. Harvard University Press, 2017.
7 Ibid
4
Bibliography
Mullen, Lincoln. The Chance of Salvation: A History of Conversion in America. Harvard
University Press, 2017.
Owen, Christopher. ""to Refrain From...Political Affairs": Southern Evangelicals, Cherokee
Missions, and the Spirituality of the Church." Tennessee Quarterly, 1994: 20-29.
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