Some Current Trends of Christianity in Africa
This article examines three trends in current African Christianity. Its denominational fragmentation is currently marked by the coexistence of three major groups: the churches that emerged from the apostolic process of Christian antiquity; the churches born from Western missionary processes; and...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
[2017]
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| In: |
International review of mission
Year: 2017, Volume: 106, Issue: 2, Pages: 228-240 |
| IxTheo Classification: | CD Christianity and Culture KBN Sub-Saharan Africa KDA Church denominations RJ Mission; missiology |
| Further subjects: | B
Competition
B African Christianity B Migration B Revivalist B Ancestor B Culture B Fragmentation |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | This article examines three trends in current African Christianity. Its denominational fragmentation is currently marked by the coexistence of three major groups: the churches that emerged from the apostolic process of Christian antiquity; the churches born from Western missionary processes; and the African revivalists (African initiated churches and African Pentecostal churches). The African revivalists are characterized by doctrinal and institutional creativity that largely draws on Africa's historical trajectory, with its challenges of a sociocultural, identity, and economic nature. This fragmented African Christianity inevitably has a diverse view of African cultures, ranging from a positive viewpoint on one end of the scale and radical rejection on the other, and including various patterns of taking over Christian heritage with the goal of giving new value to the formally scorned African identity. This diversity of attitudes in turn prompts overall judgments on Christianity in Africa, which range from praise to suspicion regarding the pertinence of this religion on the continent. This complex shape of current African Christianity is not an obstacle to the Ad Gentes mission, whose current dynamism is increasingly marked by the phenomenon of African emigration. All of this represents a great challenge for ecumenism, because a trend toward a religion market is taking the lead over collaboration and search for Christian unity. This is why it is important to recognize the quality of this African missionary Christianity, whose fragmentation is quite original. |
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| ISSN: | 1758-6631 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: International review of mission
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/irom.12182 |