The Advent, Development, and Impact of Christianity in Africa

Abstract

Christianity is a prominent religion and a force to be reckoned with in the lives of the people of Africa. Curiously, and unknown to many, Christianity was already present on the continent (in North Africa) in the first century. However, given the devastation it experienced around the turn of the 8th century, one would expect it to have died a natural death. But this was not to be. Christianity made an astonishing reappearance between the 15th and 19th centuries. This chapter adopts a descriptive approach backed with the qualitative use of existing literature to investigate the beginning, development, and contributions of the Christian Church in Africa and shows that it has had a remarkable impact on the religious, social, and even economic life of the people. It makes recommendations concerning how the faith can be solidified to produce a working model for the 21st-century church.