The Flow of African Spirituality into World Christianity

Much of the spirituality peculiar to African Christians bears traces of the influence of African Traditional Religions (atr). Prayer traditions like incantations, melodious choruses and appeal to spirits, typical of atr, have infiltrated the religious life of African Christians both at home and in D...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mission studies
Main Author: Nnamani, Amuluche-Greg (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2015
In: Mission studies
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Traditionelle afrikanische Religion / Christianity / Independant church / Pentecostal churches / Spirituality
IxTheo Classification:BS Traditional African religions
CB Christian life; spirituality
KBN Sub-Saharan Africa
KDG Free church
Further subjects:B African spirituality and thought ancestral worship diaspora (word) migration pneumatology Christian antiquity African Independent Churches classical Pentecostalism
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
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Summary:Much of the spirituality peculiar to African Christians bears traces of the influence of African Traditional Religions (atr). Prayer traditions like incantations, melodious choruses and appeal to spirits, typical of atr, have infiltrated the religious life of African Christians both at home and in Diaspora, amongst Christians in the mainline churches as well as in the African Independent Churches. Though the flow of African spiritual heritage into Christianity happened in the early history of Christianity, it accelerated in the lives of slaves in diaspora in the West Indies, the Americas and Europe. Today, the process continues amongst African migrants fleeing the unbearable political and economic strangulations in Africa; they migrate with their culture and spirituality and impact on Christianity worldwide. It is the intent of this paper therefore to explore how the African mystic sentiment, frenzied excitement and spirit-laden spirituality, which combine the sacred and the secular in practical life, influenced Christian worship and thought down the ages and, in recent times, contributed to the emergence of the Pentecostal and charismatic spirituality.
ISSN:1573-3831
Contains:In: Mission studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15733831-12341413