Today, Christianity is a term that is used very much in broad terms and ways. Over the past few decades, Christianity has mainly been predominant in the West and looked upon to have been rooted in the social organization of these Western countries. For instance, one cannot expect a high number of Christians in overseas States like Indonesia, where the majority are the Muslims. In addition, the Indonesian constitution recognizes six types of religions which include Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Protestantism, Confucianism, and Catholicism. This is why freedom of worship and religion has fully granted to her citizens. But as time has been tickling, the number of Christians has been found to have drastically increased since then. Regarding the same, the leading nations countries with many Christians are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Germany, Philippines ,Ethiopia , Nigeria, the United States, and China.
According to Philip Jenkins, the multiple graphs and statistics show the rapid growth of Christianity in the developing countries of the Global South, in countries such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America (1970). Approximately 90% of Christians live in countries where Christianity is the leading and dominating religion. This is to illustrate that Christianity is a religion that is found in almost countries in the world. Today's religion can be said to be nothing much when compared to the religion which was in existence a century ago. Christianity has indeed become a global faith accepted by many people, communities, and nations across the entire world
There is diversity theologically, geographically, and spiritually on how the Christians have been handling their religious norms. This paper will concentrate on Christianity in Africa, basically in theological terms. How was Christianity acculturated in Africa? And what about the effects the religion brought to the continent and its people? Africa is a continent made up of fifty-five countries and holding thousands of different ethnic groups and have also become a continent with a substantial increase of Christ followers and believers. As stated earlier, the enculturation of Christianity is happening more in the South of African continent than in the North. According to Jenkins, most of the Christians in today's society are coming from Africa and Latin America. In 1990, Africa was having the lowest number of Christians not even exceeding 10 million in number. Ten years down the line that is in 2000 the number of Christians have drastically increased to about 360 million. But what is even more interesting is the fact that these figures are found mostly in Southern nations of African continent opposite from the number experienced in the Northern countries. In this regard, African and the spread of Christianity significantly influenced the Southern States an indication that the Global South of Africa was indeed willing to accommodate, embrace and accept the 'western thought to be a religion in their country as compared to how the northerners decided to stick to their Islamic faith and culture.
Moreover, as previously put across, that Christianity has drastically globalized theologically, geographically, spiritually and has become diverse in many different ways, Jenkins says that Africa has overwhelming become the continent in the world with the most significant number of Christians. Southern Christians irrespective of whether those living in Africa, Latin America or other parts of Asia, have far much more conventional ways regarding their theology and morals which have substantially changed as a result of the religion. Nigeria, for instance, is Sub-Saharan State and home to the largest a massive number of Christians, approximately
Eighty-five million. Who would have thought that a Western religion would become the religion of many congregations and even families across the world especially in Nigeria?
There are four distinct strands that define the African-American Christianity. The first strand is the Ancient Christianity, which is backdated to be the earliest Christianity era. This period is represented in Egypt as Coptic Orthodox Church. The same kind of church is also found in Ethiopia thus named as Ethiopian Orthodox church. The other strand is attached to the missionaries’ work which conspired between 18th and 20th century. The European and Latin American missionaries were behind the spread of this particular religion. They comprise of Catholic, Evangelical confessions and Protestants. This group of churches can be said to be ancient thus they apply indigenous ways of spreading their religion to the people even up to modern society. Thirdly, Africans independent churches which copied a lot from the work of missionaries. Its leaders were intending to have their followers and more so forming their congregation which was a little bit attached to culture conservation. As the time progresses, many churches of such kind have been established with each having its followers. The last category of the strand is the immigrant Christianity. This was neither having missionary interests nor African native membership. It only satisfied the spiritual nourishment of immigrants. A good example of this kind is the Dutch Reformed Church. The church which was formed to sustain the rooted apartheid policy of discrimination in South Africa (SA) .
Nevertheless, more emphasize has been put on the Ancient Christianity portion of this particular theology. A more proper term which can be used is “Black Theology”. Black Theology mixes Christianity with black social power movements and civil rights of citizens. The first step to African Christianity was the adoption stage. This is a stage when the religion was first embraced by the nations of the continent. The movement was to make Christianity be adopted and adapted to the African environment. Initially, there was the Negritude Movement, a movement that sought to revalue the thoughts and cultures of Africans. The attitude to the Negro movement was related to the African philosophies of whether to accept the thing or not. The second phase was an incarnation. It is validated to the way African theology sought Christianity in a deep and authentically way to an extent whereby it was eventually rooted in the African soil. In contrast to the African Theology, Jesus is still considered to be God. The sole reason behind this notion is the way Africans have been taking
Christian religious values and make it one’s own, is because Africans are able to interpret the Bible in many ways, just like the Europeans. There is a proof here that Africans have done such an incredible role of accepting Christianity and being able to make it adaptable to their cultures, continent, and beliefs. This is truly fascinating. In Africa, the Christian religion and churches still hold many values which at some point seem to be similar. An example is that in Africa, just like in the Western countries, believes that God is the father of Jesus Christ. They also believe that Jesus came to save the world and its people from the sins. This is a phrase that sounds familiar to Western Christianity followers because the same is what is preached and believe to be true in the African States, which value Christianity as a State religion. The difference between Western Christianity Theology and African or Black Theology is the revelation between the two. The Western Christianity is more bound to biblical liberation, whereas in Africans speak much out of the experience they have had since the time of religion adoption. We go deep into what the Bible says that Africans live by what they experienced during the black oppression era. The period when Africans were subjected to several forms of inequalities, a reason which sparked the beliefs as indicated in the Bible. Many people in the Bible, including Job were subjected to uncounted misery, a reflection of what Africans endured during the reign of slavery and sufferings at the hands of the whites. Therefore, Africans get hold of the religion as a way to show the experiences they have undergone through during slavery and colonial oppression periods.
Through the biblical writings, it is believed that Christ opens the eyes of the Christians to see the real value of their faith. This is why there is logical defensive faith in Christianity. The Bible puts it clear that whoever does not have belief in the Lord have no excuse. It is because since the creation period invisible attributes of God are clearly seen and understood by the things that are still seen to be done in a mysterious way. So His eternal power cannot be put to excuses.
Regarding the Christianity in the coming future, the numbers are only seen as increasing more and more. By 2025, conservative estimates see that the Christians number will have risen approximately sixteen billion. These same estimates put the number of Christians in Latin America in 2025 to be standing at 640 million, while in Asia and Africa at 960 million
The shift of Christianity’s “center of gravity” is just a prime example of how those living in the Western Christianity, will be placed under the paradigm of some strong Christian virtues. In fact, as the numbers of Christians in foreign countries remains too drastically increase at the fast pace, the same will be experienced in the African continent. This is because Christianity just like any other religion has been found to leave religious marks to the next generations across the globe. The future generation will hold more growth and spread of the faith.
In conclusion, The Christians should enjoy a worldwide growth in the decades to come so that there will be no disparity between the world ethnic groups. This is the attributes which the Old Testament puts it clear that many American Christians, for instance, have risen differently in the socio-economic setting. This is also apparent in the book of Hebrews. Therefore, it is precisely a fact that African and Asians, Christians have been told in Hebrews through the use of contemporary tones of how the future Christianity will come to be in these two continents. Also, Evangelical religion has become a center of being saved and born again in the blood that has exercised a great appeal in the modern society of the Africans.
Bibliography
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Jenkins, Philip. 2011. The Next Christendom:The Coming of Global Christianity (Future of Christianity Trilogy). 3. Oxford University Press (OUP).
Stiller, Brian, Johnson M. Todd, Stiller Karen , and Hutchinson Mark . 2015. Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century. Thomas Nelson.
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