An Enduring Covenant: The Past and the Present in Contemporary African Christian Practice

Abstract

Abstract The arrival of Christianity in Africa witnessed varieties of African response. Each of the patterns of the response has received attention from scholars of various milieus. Missionary historiographers for instance see African initial resistance as the battle of Satan to keep the gospel from invading his so called kingdom; this led to an alliance between the missionaries and European colonial forces that caused Africans’ acceptance of Christianity through imposition. Many scholars have interpreted this imposition to mean that “pagandom” has been defeated and African primal religion has retreated. However, a series of movements emerged for religious independence, manifesting Africa’s attempts to forge a new identity. This paper adopts evolutionist theory and the culture lag theory to provide insight into the interface of this great encounter that produced a movement for social and religious change; a reflection of the echoes of African religio-cultural heritage and a manifestation of an enduring covenant.