The outbreak of the War in South Africa in October of 1899 came as no surprise to English speaking Canadians. What is a surprise from the distance of over one hundred years is the enthusiasm with which the largest Canadian Protestant denominations embraced the imperial war effort. This work by Gordon Heath is an important look at the era through the eyes of the participants and an excellent evaluation of the role of the churches in encouraging their government to participate in the war.

Skillfully using the influential denominational papers and religious journals of the day, the author demonstrates how they dealt with political and social issues and set the scene for the dispatch of the Canadian Expeditionary Force of seven thousand to South Africa. Through sermons, articles, patriotic poems, militaristic hymns, and political speeches, the writers in the journals argued that the war would bring justice to both the Uitlanders and native Africans, build the Canadian nation in the “God-ordained” British Empire, and free the missionary efforts to thrive under British rule. Their strong support for the war continued even in the light of the early Boer victories, which were seen as a punishment for sin, and the development of concentration camps to control the Boer population, which were perceived as a necessary evil lest something worse happen.

The churches played a much larger role in nation building than popular Canadian culture comprehends. This book helps restore a balanced view and makes the Canadian church support of World War I more understandable.