The Changing Face of Christianity: Africa, the West, and the World

251 Pages·2005·1.51 MB·English

by  Lamin Sanneh

The Changing Face
of Christianity
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The Changing Face
of Christianity
Africa, the West, and the World
edited by
lamin sanneh and
joel a carpenter
.
1
2005
1
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ThechangingfaceofChristianity:Africa,theWest,andtheworld/editedbyLaminSanneh
andJoelA.Carpenter.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13978-0-19-517727-5;978-0-19-517728-2(pbk.)
ISBN0-19-517727-4;0-19-517728-2(pbk.)
1.Churchhistory—TwentiethCentury. 2.ChurchHistory—Twenty-FirstCentury.
I.Sanneh,LaminO. II.Carpenter,JoelA.
BR481.C472005
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In esteem and gratitude
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Preface
Joel A. Carpenter
Oneofthemostimportantbutleastexaminedchangesintheworld
overthepastcenturyhasbeentherapidriseofChristianityinnon-
Westernsocietiesandcultures.In1900,80percentoftheworld’s
professingChristianswereEuropeanorNorthAmerican.Today,60
percentofprofessingChristiansliveintheglobalSouthandEast.
Christianthoughtandexpressionarebeingframedwithinthese
regions’cultures;theyarebynomeansmerelyexportedfromthe
NorthAtlanticregion.Christianpeopleandinstitutionsinplaces
suchasBrazil,thePhilippines,andNigeriaareengagingtheper-
sonal,social,andpoliticaldimensionsoflifeandseekingtoredirect
theminlightoftheChristiangospel.Today,Christianityisaglobal
faith,butonethatismorevigorousandvibrantintheglobalSouth
thanamongtheworld’sricherandmorepowerfulregions.Itpre-
sentsaremarkablecaseof“globalizationfrombelow”ratherthanan
impositionfromtheworld’sgreatpowers.
ChristianityinAfricahasbecomeasalientpartofthisstorybe-
causeitposesperhapsthemostdramaticcaseofrapidgrowth,local
variation,andculture-transforminginfluence.In1900,therewere
onlyabout9millionChristiansinallofAfrica.By1945,however,
thisnumberhadmorethantripledto30million.By1970,this
numberhadmorethantripledagaintomorethan115million.To-
day,thereareanestimated380millionChristiansinAfrica.1African
influenceontheworldChristiansceneisgrowing,anditisbecom-
ingmuchmorecommontoseeAfricansleadingChristianagencies
andshapingChristianthought.Thenewlyelectedexecutiveofthe
WorldCouncilofChurchesisSamuelKobia,aKenyan.Thechief
viii preface
officer for the World Alliance of ReformedChurches is Setri Nyomi,aGhan-
aian.ThepresenteroftheprestigiousStoneLecturesatPrincetonTheological
Seminaryin2003wasKwameBediako,alsoaGhanaian.Africaisfastbecom-
ingaheartlandforworldChristianity,andanyonewhowouldunderstandthe
dawning of this new dispensation in world religious history woulddowellto
studyitsAfricandimensions.
African Christianity, like Africa itself, is a huge generalization. Although
thisbookmustworkwithsomesenseofwhatAfricanChristianitymightmean,
itis not our intention to offereither adefinitiveora comprehensiveaccount.
Rather, we have chosen some cases that are more illustrative and suggestive
ofthethemesandrealitiesthatmustfactorintoanylargeraccounting.Among
the themes we find are belief inanactiveanddenselypopulatedspiritworld,
afaiththatdeliversthefaithfulfromthefearandpowerofthespiritworldas
wellasfrompovertyanddespair,andafaiththatsustainshopeforpeaceand
solidarityinastrife-riddencontinent.Ourintentistofosterinterestanddebate
on the nature of Christianity in its African and other manifestations rather
than to attempt any grand synthesis. Indeed, some of our authors disagree
witheachother,mostnotablythetwowhofocusonGhana.
We also believe that the best way to understand Christianmanifestations
in Africa is to put them into a global and historicalcontext.Thusweofferan
essay on the rise of new Christian cultural forms in the Caribbean amid the
Africandiasporathere.Wealsopresentthreeessaysonenduringissuesinthe
modern history of Christian expansion. Each of these chapters addresses a
themeinWesterners’encounterswithAsiansandviceversa.Intheconclusion,
we argue that the interaction between the Christianities of the West and the
rest of the world will be tense and sometimes explosive. At present, it seems
difficult for Western observers to find even categories in which to place the
ChristianityoftheirAfricancounterparts.Asmuchasweappreciatesomeearly
attempts to do this, we are convinced that labels such as “conservative” or
“fundamentalist”or“medieval”distorttheAfricanChristianrealityandprob-
ablyrevealmoreaboutthepost-Enlightenmenteyesofthebeholders.Uniquely
African types and categories are now emerging, and they deserve their own
placesontheconceptualmapsor,morelikely,theirownmaps.
Just as the charts of Western modernity are inadequate for exploring Af-
ricanChristianity,soarethemoderndivisionsinscholarship.Thisbookoffers
athoroughlyinterdisciplinaryapproach.Itassemblestheworkofscholarsfrom
avarietyofdisciplines,notablyanthropology,history,literaryandpopularcul-
ture,philosophy,religiousstudies,andtheology.Moreimportant,itrefusesto
partitionoffthequestionsandinsightsofChristiantheologyfromtheseother
fields of knowledge. In this way, the contributors not only try to understand
theoutlookofAfricanChristianitybutalsotrytoacknowledgeitsinfluence.
We must acknowledge some other things as we go to press. First, this
projectbeganasaresearchseminaronworldChristianitythatwasconducted