African Christianity Research Articles

Leadership among African Independent Churches

Abstract African Independent Churches are known to be the fourth segment of Christianity in Africa – after Roman Catholics and Orthodox Churches, and Western Protestant Churches. The early leaders had no books to read about leadership, no Bible Colleges and Seminaries where they learned about leading people. They did not have the opportunity to attend conferences and seminars on leadership. The means of getting information were scant. Despite all these challenges, they commanded thousands and even millions of people today and are influential. Some of their leaders were and are deified. This paper looks at the leadership qualities and dynamics of African Independent Churches to the extent that some of their leaders were and are treated as demigods. They have introduced a new style of leadership to African Christianity, which is gradually becoming the norm in most churches.

Creation, Thomas Berry, and the Church in Africa

The ecological crisis is a sign of the times, demanding adequate understanding, appropriate interpretation, and pastoral action in light of the Christian faith. Scholarly discourse on the ecological crisis continues to inspire partnership and collaborative actions in Africa. Sometimes, these efforts have yielded significant results, though amid uncharted territories. Scholars appeal for humans to embrace a mutually enhancing relationship with creation to build a common home for all creatures. A suitable and sustainable ecological vision that supports a communitarian approach to resolving the ecological crisis is Thomas Berry’s cosmology. Berry’s cosmological vision reclaims a creation theology that fosters a mutual relationship between humans and other creatures. Humans are beings in communion and beings in relationships created by God and thus from a common origin and moving toward a common destiny. This cosmological presupposition of Berry aligns with the ecological vision of Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si’. The Pope calls humanity to a new cosmic relationship that would foster interdependency of the ecosystem and respect the intrinsic value of every creature. Given the unprecedented ecological challenges, humans have a unique role as intelligent beings toward other creatures, for future generations and the common good of the earth. This human responsibility toward the earth can be realized through an ecological ethics that fosters interdependence, interconnection, and mutuality in the human–earth relationship. Berry’s insights and Catholic ecological teachings merit consideration for African Catholicism.

Levirate Marriage & Theo-doctrinal Embargo a Kenyan Experience

African scholars have found themselves in a theo-doctrinal embargo, especially after the 19 th and 20 th century European missionary explosion, that ushered a vibrant protestant Christianity in East Africa that was largely dismissive of cultural dialogues with Christianity. One of the most contested subject, that went beyond the missionary era, and reverberates across the twenty-first century, is the levirate marriage (hereafter, levirate marriage). Outside the missionary armpits, African scholars have continued to debate its efficacy to the christian teachings. In view of this, the theo-doctrinal embargo that has evidently persisted across the mainstream churches and some African Instituted churches (AIC) in Kenya motivated the eventual research and publication of this article. Whereas the mainstream churches maintain that wife inheritance, especially where the male inheritor has another wife is sin, some AICs have tended to support the levirate marriage even where the male inheritor has another wife. They do this by quoting some Old Testament texts, as their reference point. The mainstream churches have insisted that wife inheritance narratives was permitted in the Old Testament in cases where the male inheritor was single and the deceased was childless. This article seeks to examine the biblical understanding of levirate marriage and its place in the Kenyan context. Overall, the article analyzed Scriptural texts dealing with the subject of Levirate marriages and reflected it from an African Christian perspective. The materials in this article were gathered through extensive reading of published works, interviews and via general observation of the practices therein.

Działalność pastoralna Kościoła w świetle Dossier Europejskiego Zgromadzenia Synodalnego

Started by Pope Francis in 2021, the Synod on Synodality is intended to be a guiding principle for the self-awareness of the Church in the coming decades of the 21st century. The Church faces numerous challenges as a global institution, grappling with various issues among its followers who currently inhabit all continents. The situation of young churches in Africa, emerging after the era of colonialism, is different, as they seek their own identity. Similarly, the Church operates differently on the Old Continent, permeated by ideas of freedom, secularism, and liberalism. This article focuses on certain topics presented by participants of the synodal meeting in Prague in early 2023, addressing the functioning of the Church in Europe. The content of the article centers around the discussion of the idea of synodality and its place in the history of the Church and its current ecclesial vision. It then explores the relationship between mercy and truth in theology, openness to contemporary culture while preserving tradition, and the dynamics of power competition within the Church. All of these aspects are presented based on the Dossier of the Synodal Meeting in Prague, which outlines practical and pastoral challenges for the Church’s activities in Europe.

Developing African Christian Leaders for Global Transformation

Christianity is growing massively in the Global South, while it is declining in the rest of the world. This has changed the trajectory of missionary work. Africans used to be recipients, but are now benefactors who promote the gospel and lead mega-churches beyond their motherlands. Correspondingly, African Christian leaders ought to develop their capacities. While some of them appreciate the importance of leadership development, as confirmed by publicized leadership seminars and conferences, few African churches have contextualized Christian leadership development frameworks.Most problematically, countless Christian leaders have been the subjects of disturbing controversies, and they age and die without having prepared people to succeed them. By failing to do so, they betray the mission of God and the Church. Although having a call is invaluable for ministry and leadership, continuous leadership development is highly necessary for effectiveness, as ministerial needs grow daily while the capacities of Church leaders are limited. Applying grounded research as theory and engaging with contemporary literature, this paper reviewed African Christian leadership, and drew on leadership development models from the Old and New Testaments, in view of Malphurs and Mancini’s (2004) leadership development framework. This paper identified the necessity of contextualizing leadership development, appraising incumbent leaders, and addressing their situational challenges and needs, and recommends consistent holistic capacity enhancement in correspondence with changing times, contexts, people and places. Keywords: Christian Leadership, Mission, Leadership Development, Sustainability, Transformation

Women’s Empowerment as a Christian Strategy for Poverty Alleviation in Africa

This article argues that women’s empowerment and gender promotion are among the key strategies for poverty alleviation in Africa. This paper uses Rwanda as a case study to demonstrate the role women can play in poverty alleviation. The main argument made is that the church in Africa has embraced and condoned the African patriarchal systems and has taken part in women’s oppression which contribute to poverty in African societies. The failure to empower women limits their contribution to leadership and economic transformation in church and society. The methodology used in this paper is a hybrid between Critical correlation and Pastoral circle through consultative meetings, focus group discussions, and structured interviews. The research approach used is qualitative. The findings of the investigation show that the church has some theological principles and practices that mar the image and the dignity of women and hinder their complete emancipation and their full participation in poverty alleviation. The paper advocates for churches’ review of its theology and patriarchal church leadership and biblical reading which undermine women and to opt for intentional empowerment of women and gender promotion as strategies for poverty alleviation.

Cultural Revival Among Kikuyu Christians: Impact and Implications in the 21st Century

The Kikuyu people were exposed to Christianity in the year 1900 following the arrival of Reverend McGregor. Subsequently, an overwhelming majority of individuals have adopted Christianity, with more than 90% identifying themselves as Christians. Nevertheless, the amalgamation of Western and Christian cultures throughout history has posed difficulties for the revival of Kikuyu traditional rituals. However, Anglican Christians have observed a revival of Kikuyu cultural traditions in Murang'a County, Kenya, during the twenty-first century. This return signifies a deliberate embrace of traditions that were previously forsaken. The objective of this study is to discover and examine the revived cultural traditions within the Anglican community, such as the reverence of ancestors, the categorization of individuals by age, the act of sacrificing animals, traditional marriage ceremonies, and the use of traditional brew. The study investigates the impact of cultural revival on Kikuyu Christianity through qualitative methodologies, including observation and interviews. The primary findings indicate that cultural revitalization entails both benefits and drawbacks. On one side, it assists in resolving identity challenges and enhances relationships with the community and family. Nevertheless, it also cultivates duplicity, undermines the Christian belief system, and engenders discord within the Christian community. These findings emphasize the necessity for dialogue among Kikuyu Christians to reconcile traditional behaviors with Christian principles. This will promote an authentic African Christianity that embraces Christian values while recognizing and integrating indigenous heritage. This study adds to the current discussion on the relationship between culture and religion in modern African settings by examining the intricacies and impacts of cultural resurgence in Christian communities.

Megacostalism and the pandemic: Developing a megacostal theology of care beyond COVID-19

Megacostalism and the pandemic: Developing a megacostal theology of care beyond COVID-19

Особливості поширення раннього християнства у римській провінції Африка

The purpose of the article is to research the first origins of Christianity in the Roman province of Africa, to establish the geographical and chronological origin of early Christian doctrine in this region, and to determine the nature of its initial development. The research methodology is based on the principle of historicism and social approach. The article uses chronological, comparative historical approach, and analytical methods. The scientific novelty consists in the wide use of various source: written (early apologetic, hagiographic), archaeological and epigraphic, linguistic comparison of written sources, as well as the involvement of the latest historiographical research on Christianity in Roman Africa. Conclusions. Roman Africa underwent its initial Romanization after victory of Rome in the Punic Wars, and Proconsular Africa became a province of the Roman state in the first century B.C. The extensive trade network of Proconsular Africa with the Eastern and Western provinces of the Roman Empire contributed to the rapid urbanization and economic growth of the region. The constant trade and economic communication of the province made it possible for early Christianity to spread to the area. The first references to Christians date back to the second half of the second century AD and are typically written Christian texts of an urbanized nature. The Latin and Greek versions of these sources indicate the initial bilingualism of the early Christian ecclesia of Africa. The spread of Christianity in Africa came from both the Roman church and the churches of the Eastern provinces, and from there thanks to the Jewish trade diaspora. The beginning of the third century AD is characterized by the rapid development of the church in Africa and the work of the early Christian apologist Tertullian, who left behind a large written heritage. The earliest references to Christians in Proconsular Africa also indicate sporadic conflict between pagan society and local authorities against Christians.

‘A man’s gift will make room for him’: sources of wealth and legitimacy in charismatic Christianity in Ghana

ABSTRACT The moral practices and principles of accumulating and (re)distributing wealth in charismatic Christianity in Africa are controversial and contested. In Ghana, rich charismatic pastors are perceived as dubious figures and the legitimacy of their wealth is questionable. At the same time, a pastor’s wealth is a sign of his or her spiritual and charismatic gifts. In this article, I discuss the ways in which Ghanaian charismatic pastors, church members and the broader public understand different forms and shifting principles of wealth acquisition and (re)distribution within the religious field. The article highlights the dynamic and fluid nature of distinctions such as legitimate and illegitimate and argues that a moral economy approach is apt for capturing these tensions. Moreover, it is important to include religion and sources of spiritual power in the analysis of moral economies as these are crucial parts of social life and moral values in many African societies.

A Christological Reflection on Akan Hamartiology and Reconciliation

Sin is a universal phenomenon observed across all societies, no matter their level of development. Each society prescribes moral conduct that prohibits sin and serves to regulate human behavior. Unfortunately, there is a growing tendency to trivialize sin in contemporary Akan (Ghanaian) society, leading to a proliferation of social vices. The erosion of moral values has resulted in a distortion of right and wrong which further exacerbates societal decay. This situation has generated a fresh scholarly interest in the doctrine of sin and how sinful humanity can be reconciled with the divine. For the Akan society of Ghana, such a discourse needs to explore the relationship between sin in African Traditional Religion (ATR) and Christianity because ATR still significantly influences many Akan/African Christians despite the unprecedented numerical growth of Christianity in Africa in recent decades. Through descriptive and comparative research methods, this study sought to understand the concept of sin—its origins, nature, consequences, and remedies—in both Christianity and Akan Traditional Religion. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part introduces the concept of sin in both Akan and biblical traditions. Following this, the subject of reconciliation in both traditions is explored. Lastly, the paper critiques aspects of the Akan doctrine of sin and provides a Christological direction for addressing the inadequacies of the Akan belief about sin and reconciliation. The paper contributes to African Christian hamartiology and Christology.

The Influence of African Traditional Beliefs and Practices on Neo-Prophetic Christianity: An Analysis

The rapid expansion of the neo-prophetic strand of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in Africa has resulted in much public and academic scrutiny against the backdrop of perceived appropriation of elements of indigenous African faith. Even though African countries have retained secularism in place of a state religion, many African states, notably Ghana, have remained steadfastly committed to their traditional religions, sometimes even working in tandem with monotheistic Abrahamic religions like Islam and Christianity. Unquestionably, indigenous African religious beliefs have had a significant impact on African mental matrixes, which in turn has affected the practice of Christianity. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate how Ghanaian Christianity was impacted by traditional African beliefs and customs. In particular, a study of neo-prophetic churches at Manso Dome-Beposo within the Ashanti Region of Ghana was employed. The data for the study was gathered using interview guidelines and qualitative approaches. The data collected was thematically analyzed in line with the reviewed literature. The study found that most prophetic explorations involve the use of rituals, artefacts, and stylistic forms, which are similar to Abisa in the Akan spiritual cosmology. The study found out again that, there are several elements suggestive of African traditional religious influence on Christianity. For instance, it was observed that the notion of the existence of evil spirits in Akan cosmology has strongly influenced contemporary prophetism in Ghana. The study concluded that although the idea that Christianity has been affected by African traditional religion may not have empirical validity, there are plenty of visible indicators to back up this assertion. It has been recommended that with the evidence of possible syncretism, a clear distinction should be made between the culture and the religious activities of the people since at times the church wrongfully accuses members even when they are performing culturing duties. This will help the church authorities to inculturate Christian liturgy. Keywords: Inculturation, African Traditional Religion, Syncretism

The Holy Spirit in African Christianity

The Holy Spirit in African Christianity

Die bedieningbehoeftes van Afrikaanssprekende universiteitstudente in Suid-Afrika

The ministerial needs of Afrikaans-speaking university students in South Africa. This article is the result of an empirical study conducted in the student congregations of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa and the Reformed Church in South Africa. The study has been done to answer the question: What are the miniserial needs of Afrikaans-speaking university students in South Africa? The research problem that necessitates this study is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the ministerial needs of Afrikaans-speaking university student members of the Reformed student congregations in South Africa. Recent research on student ministry to support student ministers and congregations in the South African context is scant. The research question is formulated to determine the ministerial needs of university students and the implications those needs have for ministry to university students. The goal of the research is to identify the ministerial needs of university students in South Africa and to empower the student congregations to minister to these students more effectively. From the research, three primary ministry needs have been identified: (1) the need for faith formation; (2) the need for mentoring; and (3) the need for a faith community.Contribution: The contribution of this article is original empirical research on the ministerial needs of Afrikaans-speaking university students in South Africa. The research contributes to the current void in South African research on student ministry.

The Role of Ecumenism, Church, and Missiology in Violent Conflict from an African Postcolonial Theological Perspective

Abstract The defining sign of our time in relation to violent conflict is the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. It impacts not only European countries, but also the Global South. From an African postcolonial theological perspective, the question is how to discern the ‘neutral’ stance of South Africa and various other African countries on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Therefore, this article aims to present a postcolonial African analysis of violent conflict and trauma in Africa. This will be done referring to the debate between Tinyiko Maluleke and Emmanuel Katongole on the future of African theology. It concludes that the churches in Africa and theology can play their role in a posture of humility, leading in performing rituals of lament in the face of trauma. The narrative of a future African theology (and African ecclesiology) may not adhere to Eurocentric (neocolonial) dictates, or to reductionist analysis of the context.

The Bible and Music in African Christianity

This bibliographic study explores the interplay between the Bible and music within the context of African Christianity. Underpinned by the theory of syncretism, the paper employs a contextual thematic analysis to unravel the nexus between African indigenous music and Christian worship and draws implications for both scholarship and practice. Findings indicate that early European missionaries incited a satanic impression against the use of African indigenous music among Christian worshippers. It was contrarily revealed that Bible-informed use of African music in Christian worship is imperative for evangelisation, deeper spirituality, and faster church growth in Africa. In conclusion, the paper emphasises that the Bible and (indigenous) music are inseparable. It also maintains that music has the transformative power of fostering community cohesion, religious identity, and spiritual devotion among African Christians. Finally, the paper recommends greater collaboration among scholars, theologians, music educators, and gospel music practitioners in the African context in accomplishing the goal of the gospel.

A Study of African Christianity in the Post-Colonial Context: Examining the Growth and Development of Quakerism in Kenya

Abstract: My upcoming thesis on Kenyan Quakerism updates the existing scholarship on Quakerism and situates it in the African Christian context in the post-missionary/colonial era. The scholarship on African Christianity in the post-missionary/colonial era has only briefly touched on Kenyan Quakerism. Again, a few of what has been written by Africans on Quakerism are not academic and situated within the African Christian Quaker context. It is against this background that key texts on Kenyan Quakerism are used to determine what needs to be updated in situating Kenyan Quakerism in the African Christian context. An overview of these texts is explored in this writing, highlighting the importance of this research to Quaker scholarship.

Crisis of Faith: Today's African Christians and Mami-Wata (Mother-Water) Spirituality

precis: This study provides an analysis of the impact of Mami-Wata spirituality on an understanding of the place and fate of Christianity in Africa today. A section of the Christian population negotiates their Christian beliefs through the prism of their traditional African religious cosmology and worldviews. This new Christian African spirituality is generating waves of faith crises. While previous scholarship has investigated the crises of African Christian faith from the dominant point of view of African culture and context, from Christian-Muslim interaction, or from the influence of Western elements, there are no works that show the multidimensional impacts of Mami-Wata spirituality on Christians and their faith, identity, and theological discourses. Departing from past works, the present work investigates how rudimentary constructs of African spirituality have engaged Christianity on several fronts, from the problem of faith crisis and the engagement of the Mami-Wata deity to how some African Christians wrestle with their devotion to the Virgin Mary vis-à-vis the traditional Mami-Wata deity. This analysis also demonstrates the indispensability of the female divine in spiritual and religious discourses, and it provides a pathway to construct a theology that is both truly Christian and grounded in African realities.

A duplication of marriages? An ethnographic account and assessment of the necessity for both traditional and Christian marriages for African Christians

This article is based on ethnographic research for a doctoral study that was conducted in 2016 among the Ndau people of Chimanimani, Zimbabwe. The article described and assessed the practice of some African Christian churches, especially missionary founded churches, to conduct ‘white church weddings’ after getting married customarily. The study employs a postcolonial approach as a theoretical lens. It argues for a hybridized form of Christian marriage that takes into cognizance the validity of African customary marriages in and for themselves, while at the same time appreciating the importance ascribed to ‘church weddings’ in especially missionary-founded churches. The study uses the case study of the Ndau people, but the phenomenon is widely practised among African Christians across the continent. In the article, doctoral thesis findings were related with Erlank’s (2014) work on marriages in South Africa. The article offered description, critique (postcolonial, gender, class), and suggested interventions. Critical phenomenology was utilized to assess the findings and to expose the power relations that exist in the hierarchical treatment of African customary marriages as of an inferior status compared to church weddings. The economic aspect of the duplication of marriages was also foregrounded. The article underscores the importance of ethnographic research on religion as a human phenomenon in Southern Africa and beyond, as well as a critical assessment of the phenomenon. It provided several possible interventions for African missionary-founded churches.

Unsung Heroes of Mission Bible Translation in Colonial West Africa: Ludwig Adzaklo of the Bremen Mission in German Togoland

The Africanisation of Christianity in Africa is closely linked to the availability of the Bible in African mother tongues. However, mission-led Bible translation in Africa in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was not solely the work of European missionary linguists. Africans, such as Ludwig Adzaklo of the Bremen Mission, played essential roles in this process. Nevertheless, African translators like him were considered as mere Sprachgehilfe (language assistants) to the missionaries and not as co-translators. After a postcolonial analysis of archival data on the translation of the Old Testament into Ewe by Ludwig Adzaklo and Jakob Spieth, this study argues that Adzaklo was not just Spieth’s Sprachgehilfe but a co-translator on the project. Being referred to as Spieth’s Sprachgehilfe was a colonial-missionary label that denied Adzaklo’s agency in mission-led Bible translation in Africa. Therefore, the study suggests that Adzaklo should be viewed as an early Ewe mother-tongue Bible translator in the history of West African Christianity.