Semitic Impact Judaism, Islam, and Christianity

Jewish impact Actual presence: –Falashas –Sephardic Jews--North Africa –Ashkenazic Jews-South Africa

Christianity in Africa Coptic Church in Ethiopia-- indigenous European Christianity introduced

Coptic Church in Ethiopia 4th century AD –Monophysite: Belief that God and Jesus are one

European Christianity: Phase 1 Imported into Africa in the late 15th century AD Christian priests accompanied Portuguese navigators Prior to Catholic-Protestant split

Initial Contacts Kingdoms of the Kongo and Benin Converted the kings, but then kings and people reverted to traditional African religious practices

European Christianity: Phase 2 Returnees from the new world Former slaves came back to Freetown (1791) and Monrovia (1820) Passionate Protestant laymen

Evangelism Made an impact on indigenous people Many from Sierra Leone migrated to Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and converted local people

European Christianity: Phase 3 Missionary movement began in the 19th century, after 1870 This is the movement as we know it today

Protestant Missions Many associated with the abolition of the slave trade Part of the stated intention was to establish trade as substitute for slave trade Missions were self-sustaining

Roman Catholic Church Prohibited from commercial trade Centralized and coordinated by the Vatican in Rome

Angola and Congo 1866 Tanzania and Uganda--White Fathers Belgian Congo Society of Jesus

Mission Activities Full time professional missionaries Mission Stations Links with European/US parent organizations

Church had 3 major Activities Literacy in the Bible Occupational Training Cure the sick But Protestant missions had little coordination

Protestant: Literacy Reading the Bible Translation into the vernacular –linguistic work

Occupational Training Farming techniques Clerical Skills Not Shakespeare and college subjects This presented problems at Independence, when few Africans were available to take positions

Medicine: Cure the sick Part of Gospel of healing Necessary for survival of the missionaries themselves

Missionaries were characterized by Lack of tolerance for traditional African practices –ritual, dancing, drumming, divination, healing Rigid puritanical European/Victorian ideas

Missionaries major “by-product” Educated African elite

Missionaries were characterized by Using European racial identities --subtle balance of power Woven into European community of colonial administrators, merchants, settlers Missionaries were slow to relinquish control of their churches Lead to African frustration

Modern Christianity African Independence movements and African nationalism movements were a result

Became clear that if Christianity was to survive Must be under control of Africans

Most of leaders of African Nationalism Trained in Mission Schools Became Christians

African churches that innovated with Christianity were called “Ethiopian” or “Zionist” churches

“Ethiopian” Churches Broke away from the formal control by Europeans But retained much of the orientation Inspiration from Psalm 68:31 “Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God”

“Zionist” Churches Independent Developed new forms of worship –dancing, drumming –More “African” Emphasis on prayer and healing –(similar to traditional African religion)

Zionist Churches may be Prophetic: Religious awakening, charismatic leader, prophet or prophetess Messianic: Centered around a dominant personality, with special powers --identification with Christ Millenarian: End of the world Revitalistic--to revive or perpetuate selected aspects of the culture/society

African: Simon Kimbangi was its prophet African: in organization segmental, hierarchical church structure –African leadership

Kimbanguism: Authentically African, Authentically Christian Christian: life style of personal self-disiicpline commitment to Jesus