Christianity in Africa since Independence

Great change amid continuity has characterised the very recent history of Christianity in post-independence Africa. The hierarchy is for the most part African and many of the Protestant mission churches are self-governing.

Since independence there has been greater co­operation and tolerance both between the older Christian churches, and between these churches and the independence churches, some of which have come to resemble increasingly those older, more established churches them­selves. Moreover attitudes towards and relations with Islam have improved considerably, and much greater esteem and respect are now shown to ‘tradi­tional’ religion. Some of the branches of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa are an exception to all or most of this and the NGK has continued to defend the historic role of the Afrikaner to protect Christian civilisation from anti-Christian forces and as recently as October 1986 ceased to justify apartheid on theological grounds, but still supports segre­gated schools and housing. By way of contrast, ‘black theology’, a develop­ment of the late 1960s and early 1970s, has attempted to address itself, by ‘black’ self-awareness, to this and other issues and experiences that have shaped much of the history of Africa and its peoples during the five hundred years of Christianity sketchily outlined here: the slave trade, colonisation, urbanisation, individual freedom and human rights, industrialisation, religi­ous pluralism, and nation-building within the context of massive poverty and inequality, the political solutions for which have often been one-party states and military rule.

Further Reading

Ajayi, J.F.A.

Barrett, David B. Schism and Renewal in Africa: an Analysis of Six Thousand Contempo­rary Religious Movements (Oxford University Press, Nairobi and London, 1968) Clarke, P.B. West Africa and Christianity. A Study of Religious Developmentfrom the 15th to the 20th Century (Edward Arnold, London, 1986)

Fashole-Luke, E., Gray, R., Hastings, A. and Tasie, G. (eds.) Christianity in Indepen­dent Africa (Rex Collings, London, 1978)

Groves, C.P. The Planting of Christianity in Africa, 4 vols. (Lutterworth Press, Lon­don, 1948-58)

Hastings, A. A History of African Christianity 1950-1975 (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1979)

Kendall, E. The End of an Era. Africa and the Missionary (SPCK, London, 1978) Oliver, R.O. The Missionary Factor in East Africa (Longman, London, 1965)

Peel, J.D.Y. Aladura: a Religious Movement among the Yoruba (Oxford University Press, London, 1968)

Ranger, T.O. and Weller, J. (eds.) Themes in the Christian History of Central Africa (Heinemann, London, 1975)

Sanneh, L. West African Christianity. The Religious Impact (C. Hurst & Co., London, 1983)

Shorter, A. and Kataza, E. (eds.) Missionaries to Yourselves. African Catechists Today (G. Chapman, London, 1972)

Sundkler, B.G.M. Bantu Prophets in South Africa, 2nd edn (Oxford University Press for the International African Institute, London, 1961)

Turner, H.W. African Independent Church, vol. 1: History of an African Independent Church: the Church of the Lord (Aladura); vol. 2: African Independent Church: the Life and Faith of the Church of the Lord (Aladura) (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1967)