Christianity in Africa: a historical appraisal

Fatokun, Samson Adetunji

doi:10.4102/ve.v26i2.229

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…One historical fact that is widely held by church historians is that Christianity started well before the era of colonialism. 2 This history is well described by Fatokun (2005) in his essay, 'Christianity in Africa: a historical appraisal', that we will substantially draw from in this section. The first urban centre of Christianity in Africa was Alexandria in Egypt (Fatokun 2005:358).…”

Section: Pastoral Care Approaches During African Christian Periodsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…penetration of early Christianity in Ethiopia as a third major centre of early Christianity in Africa (Fatokun 2005):…”

Section: Pastoral Care Approaches During African Christian Periodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the Christology of this second mission was not Monophysite; thus, it resulted in doctrinal disputes in that early church. In view of these developments, it is observed that (Fatokun 2005):…”

Section: Pastoral Care Approaches During African Christian Periodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

History and developments of pastoral care in Africa: A survey and proposition for effective contextual pastoral caregiving

Magezi

2019

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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The practice of pastoral care (cura animarum) over the ages has been informed and influenced by the need to develop creative ways (interventions) to respond to people’s contextual challenges. These approaches have been well documented. However, the history, developments and emerging pastoral care practices in Africa have not been documented. This article, by way of a survey, considers the pastoral care approaches that emerged in Africa from the period when Christianity was introduced to the continent. It addresses three interlinked questions. Firstly, to what extent has pastoral care approaches and practices in Africa been influenced by the African context and developments? Secondly, to what extent has the context and the emerging pastoral care approaches in Africa been discerned from historical developments and documented? Thirdly, what links can be drawn between pastoral care practices in Africa and its historical as well as cultural context? In answering these questions, the article retrieves pastoral care developments in Africa by discerning pastoral care during the periods of Christianity in Africa. The notion of cura animarum as ‘soul care’, referring to care for the whole person (holistic care, i.e., nephesh care) from a Christian spiritual perspective, will be employed as a framework. The assumption guiding the article is that pastoral care practices and approaches in Africa have arisen as responses to the contextual realities being experienced at the interface of Christianity and the African people. These realities arose and persist to this day as a struggle to relate, apply and live out an authentic African Christian life to cope with life in a meaningful way. It concludes by suggesting ways on how pastoral care in Africa should be practiced in the current period and going forward.

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Section: Pastoral Care Approaches During African Christian Periodsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…penetration of early Christianity in Ethiopia as a third major centre of early Christianity in Africa (Fatokun 2005):…”

Section: Pastoral Care Approaches During African Christian Periodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

History and developments of pastoral care in Africa: A survey and proposition for effective contextual pastoral caregiving

Magezi

2019

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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Intersectionalities: Whiteness, Religion, Peacebuilding and Development in Africa

Gunda

2023

The Palgrave Handbook of Religion, Peacebuilding, and Development in Africa

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Decolonising Biblical Studies in Africa: Re-thinking the Possibilities, Opportunities and Challenges

Gunda

2024

Contemporary African Perspectives on the Bible

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Christianity in Africa: a historical appraisal

Abstract: ABSTRACT

Cited by 6 publications

References 2 publications

History and developments of pastoral care in Africa: A survey and proposition for effective contextual pastoral caregiving

History and developments of pastoral care in Africa: A survey and proposition for effective contextual pastoral caregiving

Intersectionalities: Whiteness, Religion, Peacebuilding and Development in Africa

Decolonising Biblical Studies in Africa: Re-thinking the Possibilities, Opportunities and Challenges

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