A History of Christianity in Africa: From Antiquity to the Present

I am finding this book hard to review. First, the information covers two millennia of Christianity; there is a lot of information. But, as important, this text is written like a history textbook and represents, perhaps, my least favorite way to study history. But, I will do my best.

"When Jesus was persecuted by the European Herod, God sent him into Africa; by this we know that Africans have naturally a true spirit of Christianity." ~ The Children of the Sacred Heart in Northern Rhodesia, in 1958, quoted in J. Taylor and D. Lehmann, Christians of the Copperbelt (SCM, London, 1961) p. 167.

I found the beginning of the book the most interesting. Admittedly, I have studied this period of Christianity more than I have the others. The topic was familiar. I was annoyed by one little thing. The author of the book consistently referred to the Non-Chalcedonian Churches as the Monophysite churches. I reject that label and have written before, "The church split over semantics?" Because the Non-Chalcedonian churches do not teach that Christ had only one nature. They believe that the divine spirit and his physical, human body (Christ's two natures) are indivisible and cannot be separated.

I think I might agree with them. Not because I have any special understanding about Christ's nature. My spirit and body are indivisible and without separation. Our adult Sunday school class has been studying 1 John. It seems that the entire book addresses the fact that my body and spirit are indivisibly one. In the resurrection Christ's physical body and divine spirit became the first fruits of the resurrection. He is not ruling and reigning in heaven as a disembodied spirit. The church I belong to doesn't endorse or require fasting, celibacy or really any of the practices related to Christian asceticism. I am talking as an outsider. I hope not to offend or oversimplify the Lenten fast that Orthodox Christians are currently participating in. But, it seems that the entire reason for fasting is that there is a recognition that our body and spirit are one; fasting helps prepare our spirit for celebrating Christ's passion. The Western church seems to have lost this understanding.

When I became a Christian, the church's history became my history. It seems that after presenting the ancient church, the rest of the book highlighted the church's corporate sin. There were, of course, stories of the persecuted church and martyrs, but they were the exception. By far, the bigger story is a seemingly unending list of people, churches and political alliances. I knew, but didn't like to read again, about the church's involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The overall message of the book can best be summed up in the following quote:

There is too much failure among all Europeans in Nyassaland. The Three Combined Bodies: Missionaries, Government, and Companies or Gainers of money do form the same rule to look on a Native with mockery eyes. It sometimes startle us to see that the Three Combined Bodies are from Europe, and along with them there is a title 'CHRISTNDOM.' And to compare of make a comparison between the MASTER of the title and His Servants it pushes any African away from believing the Master of the title. If we had power enough to communicate ourselves to Europe, we would have advised them not to call themselfs 'CHRISTNDOM' but 'Europeandom.' We see that the title 'CHRISTNDOM' does not belong to Europe, but to future BRIDE. Therefore the life of the Three Combined Bodies is altogether too cheaty, too thefty, too mockery. ~ Charles Domingo

A plaque near the entrance of Elmina Castle

Perhaps part of the reason Christians were so poor at representing Christ to the people of Africa is that Christians seem to have an unfailing inability to read and follow the example of Scripture.

"While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'" Acts 13:2 (NAS)

But, that isn't how missionaries were selected:

Someone, possibly deeply stirred at missionary meeting... feels constrained to offer for overseas service. Almost inevitably this 'offering' comes to be regarded as a 'holy call' to a sacrificial vocation. The whole idea becomes wrapped in a veil of romantic splendour...many may know that, mentally, physically or spiritually, the candidate is unsuitable for missionary service. (page 77)

One of the other themes I found interesting was how closely tied education is with evangelism. Missionaries held a virtual monopoly on education. I had never really thought of it before, but Christianity is a religion of the Word. Tribes that didn't have a written language needed one to study the Scripture. Missionaries needed to spend years living with a people group to learn their language. They had to put it into writing and teach the people how to read. I began to wonder how many converts were hunger for the written word and the power that comes with knowing how to read and write instead of being hungry for the Living word.

The last thing that I found interesting is that many Africans joined the church because they embraced a prosperity gospel. The Europeans are wealthier and more powerful than us; therefore, the European God must be stronger than our traditional gods. This belief, of course, is only good so long as the person embracing it feels that God is blessing them too. In the end, some Africans believed that there were "secret" teaching, spells and Scripture that the Europeans weren't sharing with them. And where did they get this anti-biblical prosperity gospel? Why from White missionaries of course! "I showed them a Bible and told them it was it that made our nation rich and powerful."

Sadly, the overall message of the book is that missionaries in Africa were totally unequipped to do their job. They didn't know how to interact with the culture. They opposed things that seem irrelevant and not grounded in biblical truth, for example round houses. There was not a culturally sensitive way with polygomy. Native converts were more successful at gaining converts. But, instead of equipping and commissioning them as pastors, priests and leaders in the newly planted churches, missionaries created mission villages and set themselves up as autocratic rulers. They made themselves political and spiritual leaders, judge and jury. They even dispensed capital punishment.

And, I will end on this sad note:

The Native is, we firmly believe, one of the best assets this country possesses. We need him to assist us to develop its vast resources, and he will help us, if we allow him, to make it a country in which an ever-increasing number of Europeans will live in comfort. (page 308)

I am really not surprised that anyone ever thought such a thing. Some thoughts just pop into your mind unexamined. But, to write it down, to be saved for generation after generation? Who thinks like that?

In today's headlines: Pope begins Africa tour

"Although the numbers of practicing Catholics are dwindling in the developed world, Africa, where some progress has been made toward democratization but conflicts and crises still simmer, is seen as vital to the future of a growing Church.

Image Source: Travel Blog, Photographer: Tamara Northcott