View african church history, african christian theology, the study of new religious movements in africa research papers on academia. Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the world, with more than 2 billion followers. African christianity african studies oxford bibliographies. Twin parallel rift valleys that are part of the east african rift system run through the. This unprecedented work is the first onevolume study of the history of christianity in africa. East african muslims are mostly shafiites and some. Pdf early christianity in east africa and red seaindian ocean. The lost history of christianity the thousandyear golden age of the church in the middle east, africa, and asiaand how it died philip jenkins new york 20091103. Today the religious landscape of the west is again being affected by developments within the history of european nationalism. Their coming of christian missionaries to east africa and africa in general was based on a number of motives which were humanitarian, economic, political and social in nature. And though the modern history of the christian missions in africa south of the sahara only. Reasons will be explored for the relative marginality of christianity in most of africa before the nineteenth century. Eastern africa consists largely of plateaus and has most of the highest elevations in the continent. Pdf christianity in africa came through five main trajectories.
European colonizations influence of uniformity in religion spread christianity from small clusters in egypt, ethiopia, and south africa to. Traditional gods were still worshipped, such as the phonecian baal hammon equivalent to saturn and baal tanit a goddess of fertility in africa proconsuaris and ancient egyptian beliefs of isis, osiris, and horus. Christian missions were organized efforts to spread the christian faith for the purpose of extending religious teaching at home or abroad. From the precolonial to the modern day toyin falola and tyler fleming encyclopedia of life support systems eolss and along the swahili coastline of east africa, vast trade networks developed.
East african christians and world war i south african history online. The spread of the faith in africa represents perhaps the most dramatic advance in all christian history, and yet the names and stories of persons chiefly responsible are largely unknown. Christianity, despite its eclipse from most of northern africa in subsequent centuries. The church of the east the church of the east is currently the only complete history in english of the east syriac church.
Polygamy and christianity in africa t a falaye, ph. Pdf the ancient east african kingdom of aksum gradually adopted christianity from the early to midfourthcentury reign of ezana onwards. What is the truth concerning the origin of christianity in africa. Religion in africa the majority of africans are adherents of the abrahamic religions. The spread of christianity in africa timeline timetoast. East africa or eastern africa is the eastern region of the african continent, variably defined by geography. The argument of this short article is that the introduction of christianity to east africa should be interpreted in light of maritime trade. How might the history of christianity in asia been different had this incomparable opportunity been seized. Jenkins, professor of history and religious studies, penn state university, is the author of numerous bestselling works.
Anglicans, methodists, and baptists were active in sierra leone and, with presbyterians, in nigeria, while methodists also set. Some of the history of these countries, however, is naturally mentioned in this history of the rest of africa but is kept to the minimum needed to make the rest comprehensible. Expansion of african independent churches throughout africa christianity introduced to aksum portuguese missionaries. Whereas it is believed erroneously among many people that polygamy implies the art of a man being married to more than one wife, the true definition of polygamy implies the.
Christianity in east africa owes an immense debt to this trio of german lutherans. Learn about historical christian events within church history. The swahili language remains central to many east african muslims, hence the occasionally heard phrase, swahili islam. The history of christianity in africa probably began during the earthly ministry of jesus christ, two thousand years ago. In the time of jesus and early centuries of christ era, palestine and the surrounding nations, were the center of christianity. Tanzania, kenya, uganda, rwanda, burundi and south sudan are members of the east african community eac. History of christianity in west africa what is the truth. Christianity and african popular religion 67 the impact of world war ii 68 independence and decolonization in southern africa 70 chapter 4. Outside of the cities, life was less influenced by roman culture. There were echoes of traditional religions to be found in christianity which also proved key in the spread of. Written by elizabeth isichei, a leading scholar in this field, a history of christianity in africa examines the origins and development of christianity in africa from the early story of egyptian christianity to the spectacular growth, vitality, and diversity of the churches in africa today. The inscription motivated him to go back to africa, this time to east africa.
The missionary movement in colonial kenya cuvillier verlag. Christianity i n africa shows tremendous variety, from the ancient forms of oriental ortho dox christianit y i n egy pt, ethiop ia, an d eritr ea to the n ewest african chri stian denominatio ns of n igeria, a country that has experienced large conv ersion to chris tianity in recent times. The ancient east african kingdom of aksum gradually adopted christianity from the early to midfourthcentury reign of ezana onwards. The gospel of luke records that a cyrenian was compelled to bear the cross for jesus, prior to jesus crucifixion. Historical background in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, africa witnessed an explosion of missionary activity. I read this book slowly a few pages a day for a time period spanning over a year as a supplement to other books i was reading. Krapf was a german lutheran from the basle missionary college, but sent out by the church missionary society cms, which was an anglican church missionary agency from britain. It will additionally examine christianity in subsaharan africa before 1800 including the ethiopian orthodox church and kongo catholicism. The two most striking highlands are in ethiopia and kenya, respectively, where large areas reach elevations of 6,500 to 10,000 feet 2,000 to 3,000 metres. The new testament of the bible mentions several events in which africans were witnesses to the life of christ and the ministry of the apostles. Common beliefs are that it is a religion imported from europe. Following a brief survey of early christianity in northern africa, this massive work zeroes in on the same period surveyed in hastings 1994, but it lacks that works integrating narrative and conceptual. The history of islam in east africa stretches back to around ce. It covers the periods of the sassanians, arabs, mongols, ottomans, and the twentieth century, with information about the syriac, iranian, and chinese documentation of this unique and almost forgotten part of christendom.
History of southern africa south african history online. Christianity spread in africa nearly two thousand years ago. Christianity was established on all coasts of the red sea and western indian ocean well ahead of the official adoption of the faith by the aksumite kings. This, along with a related oversight of charismatic elements in modern african christianity is disappointing. A history of christianity in africa elizabeth isichei. Here are a few books, websites, and past chm issues recommended by christian history staff and this issues authors as guides to the landscape of early african christianity. History of christianity in africa in the context of african by frans j. This is a short history of africa excluding egypt, ethiopia and dutch and british south africa, which are the subjects of separate histories. Krapf, rebmann, and erhardt, all working under the cms. The christian faith centers on beliefs regarding the birth, life, death and resurrection of. Beginnings to 1500 is a superior read in every way.
In the united nations statistics division scheme of geographic regions, 20 territories make up eastern africa. Until the mid20th century, it remained largely confined to the coast and closely bound up with the history of the swahili towns situated on it. Asian christianity from ad 0 church history timeline. Not a day passed when i felt the material boring, irrelevant, or unfair. The portuguese were the first to introduce christianity to the east african coast in the 15th c. Christian history provides quality articles about the history of the christian church and is the official site of christian history magazine.
Mombasa in kenya and embarked upon christian work there in what turned out to be the beginnings of christianity in east africa. Religious conversion in colonial africa by nathan nunn iyigun 2008, which provides evidence linking the protestant reformation to the sixteenthcentury expansion of the ottoman empire into continental europe. Early christianity in east africa and red seaindian ocean. The first main trajectory was the initial evangelization of north africa in the first. Churches in egypt, the roman africa, nubia and ethiopia. At the turn of the 20th century, christianity was virtually nonexistent in many parts of africa but is now the faith of the majority. Africas history with christianity has been often viewed as simply a result of european colonization, but history proves the opposite to be true. Okon senior lecturer, department of religious and cultural studies, university of calabar abstract the purpose of this paper is to determine the correlation between the nineteenth century missionary enterprise and colonial occupation of africa.
By tracing the origins of the christian faith in both north and subsaharan africa including, northcentral and west africa. In this article, the author challenges the popular public conception that christianity in africa is a latecomer introduced only with the advent of colonialism. The spread of christianity in africa timeline created by thejedi. African church history, african christian theology, the. In this groundbreaking book, renowned religion scholar philip jenkins offers a lost history, revealing that, for centuries, christianitys center was actually in the middle east, asia, and africa, with significant communities extending as far as china. Later in the century they went on from egypt to the rest of north africa, converting the berbers as they went. What does history say about the first christians of africa. D department of religious studies olabisi onabanjo university, agoiwoye ogun state, nigeria abstract. Using information provided in the text and on the map christianity in africa, fill in the following important events and the dates when they occurred. The bible has mentioned the name of africa in several ways and they have witnessed the life of jesus christ.
It states that the accused have a box which they say contains the books the memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets, and the letters of paul, a righteous man. Unesco eolss sample chapters world civilizations and history of human development african civilizations. Christian missionaries in east africa atika school. It is possible that the history of christianity in africa began when these africans shared what they witnessed with other africans. He has also championed comparisons of israel to apartheid south africa and has promoted divestment. After the birth of islam early in the 7th century the armies of the semitic arabs quickly conquered the whole of the middle east, including egypt in 642. Uganda, providing a brief overview of the history of religion and conflict and. The oldest surviving document of north african christianity records the trial of christians which dates back to july 17, 180. History of the church in africa a survey by hildebrandt jonathan. The history of southern africa largescale exploitation of the regions. Christianity would have begun as a religion when the people who have met christ shared their experiences with other africans. Christianity is one of the dominant religions in the african continent, the other being islam.
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