Beyond Secularization: Unmasking the Theological-Economic Logic of Colonial Power

The enduring legacy of colonialism manifests not only in overt political and economic structures but also in the subtle, often unacknowledged, persistence of theological logics within seemingly secular systems. I challenge the dominant narrative of secularization, which often posits a clean break between religious and secular spheres. Instead, I argue that key concepts underpinning modern capitalism, particularly the notion of debt, are deeply rooted in Christian theological frameworks, specifically the soteriological Christian emphasis on redemption and salvation. This “theological economic logic,” I contend, is not a mere historical relic, but an active force shaping power relations and perpetuating coloniality in the contemporary world.

Decolonial scholars such as Walter Mignolo and Sylvia Wynter have made crucial contributions to understanding the colonial matrix of power, recognizing the foundational role of Christian theology in justifying colonial domination and constructing racial hierarchies (Mignolo, 2011; Wynter, 2003). However, I find that their analyses tend to frame this theological influence as primarily historical, a precursor to the supposedly secular structures of modernity. Mignolo, for instance, highlights the “purity of blood” doctrine as a theological concept that later morphed into secularized forms of racial categorization (Mignolo, 2000). Wynter, while offering a more nuanced account, similarly describes a “degodding” process, where Christian conceptions of humanity were transformed into secularized notions of “Man1” and “Man2” (Wynter, 1989).

I argue that such framings, while insightful, risk underestimating the constitutive power of theological frameworks. They suggest a linear progression from religious to secular dominance, overlooking the ways in which theological logics continue to operate, often invisibly, within contemporary economic and political systems. The concept of debt, central to both Christian soteriology and capitalist economics, provides a powerful example of this persistence. Just as Christian theology posits humanity as inherently indebted to God, requiring redemption through Christ's sacrifice, so too does capitalism construct individuals as indebted subjects, perpetually obligated to repay debts (both literal and metaphorical) to maintain their position within the system. 

This theological-economic logic, I maintain, is not confined to abstract concepts; it has concrete material consequences. the "austerity measures" and "structural adjustment programs" imposed by international financial institutions (e.g., the World Bank and IMF), as critiqued by scholars like Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Gurminder K. Bhambra, and Arjun Appadurai, can be understood as contemporary manifestations of this theological-economic logic (Ndlovu-Gatsheni and Chambati 2013; Bhambra, Gebrial, and Nişancıoğlu 2018; Appadurai 1996). These policies, often presented as neutral and objective economic necessities, in fact, perpetuate a system of debt and dependency that mirrors the colonial relationship. It shapes not only economic exploitation but also racial, gendered, and epistemic hierarchies. (Fanon 1968; Césaire 2000; Lugones 2023). My paper illustrates this through a brief analysis. I believe it is imperative to understand that this dynamic is not only related to a specific historical context but functions as a logic to understand current realities.

By unmasking this theological-economic logic, in this paper, I challenge the dominant narrative of secularization and call for a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between religion, colonialism, and contemporary power structures. It argues that a deeper engagement with the content of colonial theology, not merely its instrumental use, is essential for dismantling the enduring legacies of colonialism. This, in turn, requires a radical rethinking of the concept of “freedom,” moving beyond liberal notions of individual autonomy to a more collective and relational understanding of liberation. The paper concludes by suggesting that a genuinely decolonial project must grapple with the theological underpinnings of the modern/colonial world system, recognizing that “freedom” is often predicated on the unfreedom of others, and that a more just and equitable future requires a fundamental transformation of both our economic and theological imaginaries. This paper proposes a theological critique of both coloniality and the dominant “secular” ways of understanding the world.