"The philosophy of love and peace strangely overlooked who was in possession of the guns. There had been love and peace for some time on the continent of Africa because for all this time black men had been captivated by the doctrines of Christianity. It took them centuries to realize its contradictions. ... perhaps there was no greater crime as yet than all the lies Western civilization had told in the name of Jesus Christ"
About this Quote
Head’s target is the way Christianity functioned, in African colonial contexts, as both comfort and compliance technology. “Captivated by the doctrines” is not admiration so much as enchantment: an imposed story that teaches patience, forgiveness, and turning the other cheek while land, labor, and life are extracted. The subtext is brutal: peace prevailed not because of mutual morality but because one side was disciplined into restraint and the other side kept the means to enforce order.
The line about “centuries” lands like an indictment of historical time itself. Head acknowledges how long it can take to name a contradiction when your education, theology, and survival are wrapped inside it. Her final charge - “lies Western civilization had told in the name of Jesus Christ” - is calibrated to sting because it doesn’t argue against faith as such; it argues against the weaponization of faith. Jesus becomes the brand under which empire launders conquest into righteousness. The crime isn’t only what was done, but the sanctimonious story told about it afterward.
Quote Details
| Topic | Justice |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Head, Bessie. (2026, February 4). The philosophy of love and peace strangely overlooked who was in possession of the guns. There had been love and peace for some time on the continent of Africa because for all this time black men had been captivated by the doctrines of Christianity. It took them centuries to realize its contradictions. ... perhaps there was no greater crime as yet than all the lies Western civilization had told in the name of Jesus Christ. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-philosophy-of-love-and-peace-strangely-184923/
Chicago Style
Head, Bessie. "The philosophy of love and peace strangely overlooked who was in possession of the guns. There had been love and peace for some time on the continent of Africa because for all this time black men had been captivated by the doctrines of Christianity. It took them centuries to realize its contradictions. ... perhaps there was no greater crime as yet than all the lies Western civilization had told in the name of Jesus Christ." FixQuotes. February 4, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-philosophy-of-love-and-peace-strangely-184923/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The philosophy of love and peace strangely overlooked who was in possession of the guns. There had been love and peace for some time on the continent of Africa because for all this time black men had been captivated by the doctrines of Christianity. It took them centuries to realize its contradictions. ... perhaps there was no greater crime as yet than all the lies Western civilization had told in the name of Jesus Christ." FixQuotes, 4 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-philosophy-of-love-and-peace-strangely-184923/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
