An Outline Of The History Of Christianity In West Africa

This unprecedented work is the first one-volume study of the history of Christianity in Africa. 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. Isichei opens with the brilliance of Christianity in Africa in antiquity and shows how Christian Egypt and North Africa produced some of the most influential intellects of the time. She then discusses the churches founded in the wake of early contacts with Europe, from the late fifteenth century on, and the unbroken Christian witness of Coptic Egypt and of Ethiopia. Isichei also examines the different types of Christianity in modern Africa and shows how social factors have influenced its development and expression. With the explosive growth of Christianity now taking place in Africa and the increasingly recognized significance of African Christianity, this much-needed book fills the void in scholarly works on that continent's Christian past, also foreshadowing Christian Africa's influential future.

This book presents an outline of recent developments and approaches in Christian historiography. It reviews and assesses four important contributions by non-African historians to the field of study, Baur, Isichei, Hastings and Sundkler. The author, former head of Religious Studies at the University of Zimbabwe, argues that African historians/Christians are bringing fresh perspectives to the study of African Chrisitanity and Christian history, and that the future of historiography of Christianity in Africa lies in an open and critical dialogue between African and non-African perspectives.

Bengt Sundkler's long-awaited book on African Christian churches will become the standard reference for the subject.