The positive intentions of Christianity were however overshadowed by the ills of the slave trade and commercial exploitation. Cities like Carthage (now a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia), Utica, Hadrumetum (now Sousse, Tunisia), Hippo Regius (now Annaba, Algeria) had as many as 50,000 inhabitants. As a Christian, I believe that God’s historical providence directed the events that led to Christianity’s development. It was partially due to this that the Roman Empire eventually split into two, east and west. Traditional Gods were still worshipped, such as the Phonecian Ba'al Hammon (equivalent to Saturn) and Ba'al Tanit (a goddess of fertility) in Africa Proconsuaris and Ancient Egyptian beliefs of Isis, Osiris, and Horus. PIOneer mission in Africa greatly discouraged other volunteers who were wilting to come to Africa and carry out missionary work. Factors that led to the spread of Christianity in the apostolic age As a Christian, I believe that God’s historical providence directed the events that led to Christianity’s development. Given the slow progress of Romanization of North Africa, it is perhaps surprising how quickly Christianity spread across the top of the continent. 2. They were followed in turn by the Methodists and the Roman Catholics. Nearly 200 years after the first wave of missionaries arrived in Africa, Christianity is growing faster here than anywhere else in the world. There were many social, geographical, historical and religious issues prevailing at the time of Christ and all of which were favorable to the spread of Christianity. Christianity appealed to a disaffected Egyptian populous through its representations of resurrection, an afterlife, virgin birth, and the possibility that a god could be killed and brought back, all of which resonated with more ancient Egyptian religious practice. Outside of the cities, life was less influenced by Roman culture. Factors Which Influenced the Spread Of Christianity, Alexandria as an Early Center of Christianity, Latin as the Language of Western Christianity, 6 Important People in Ancient African History. SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY IN WEST AFRICA. e g. the death of Coillard and his Wife in 1904 led to the collapse of the evangelical mission in Barotseland. The Spread of Christianity and Factors that Contributed to the Political and Religious Separation of the Early Church to annex what had been the Ptolemaic Kingdom. It was partially due to this that the Roman Empire eventually split into two, east and west. Al-Bakri, a renowned Arabic Scholar and merchant wrote in 1067, that the capital of ancient Ghana was already … Reformers in the missionary churches, as well as independent church leaders, agitated for changes in the institutionalized church. Victor I (189-99), the first bishop of Rome to … Two thousand years later, Christian presence has left indelible marks on the continent—some positive, some less so. Mark arrived in Egypt around 42 C.E., Philip traveled all the way to Carthage before heading east into Asia Minor, Matthew visited Ethiopia (by way of Persia), as did Bartholomew. Explain the factors involved in the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire both before and after the conversion of Constantine. G. Mokhtar, James Currey, 1990. And what kind of lives did they lead? Economic factors. Christianity arrived in Africa in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD, making these Christian communities some of the earliest in the world. In North Africa, however, Christianity was not merely eclipsed, it was supplanted. Mark the Evangelist made history in the year 43 when he became the first bishop to serve in the Orthodox Church of Alexandria. King Ezana of the Ethiopian/Eritrean Kingdom of Aksum gave Christianity official status and facilitated the establishment of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. • 'The Christian period in Mediterranean Africa' by WHC Frend, in Cambridge History of Africa, Ed. North Africa, however, Christianity was not merely eclipsed, it was supplanted.1 Tertullian, the "Father of Latin Christianity," had labored in North Africa during the latter years of the second century and the early years of the third. The oldest of these churches is the Tewahedo which enjoys a membership of around 45 to 50 million people. The ancient East African kingdom of Aksum gradually adopted Christianity from the early- to mid-fourth-century reign of Ezana onwards. The Evangelical Revival, in the late 18th century, started sending missionaries to Africa. The faith spread as neighbors saw the lives of the believers close-up, on a daily basis. By the middle of the first century, churches had been established in northern African by early converts to Christianity. However, Emperor Decius ordered the persecution of the adherents of Christianity in mid-3rd century forcing Christians to seek refuge in the desert. He was an intellectual Christian who debated with those suspicious of scholarship and taught several notable ecclesiastical and theological leaders (such as Origen, and Alexander the Bishop of Jerusalem). Explain six factors that favoured the spread of Christianity in East Africa. Tertullian, the “Father of Latin Christianity,” had labored in North Africa during the latter years of the second century and the early years of the third. Origen was a prolific writer, had the ear of Roman royalty, and succeeded Clement of Alexandria as head of the School of Alexandria. Christianity is a proselytising religion, and many missionaries are spread around the word preaching to the unconverted. AICs have also demonstrated a strong missionary tendency in that most of the spread of Christianity throughout Africa in the 20 th century can be attributed to African Independent Churches. The Catechetical School of Alexandria was founded in the late second century by Clement of Alexandria as a center for the study of the allegorical interpretation of the Bible. The spread of Christianity throughout Egypt and Northern Africa, during the first five centuries was rapid and intense, despite the prevalence of false teachings, persecutions and martyrdom. The World Book Encyclopedia has stipulated that Christians constitute 80% of Africa's population in 2002. Early Christianity was primarily an urban faith, establishing itself in the city centers of the Roman Empire. One of the most important Christian theologians and biblical scholars was Oregenes Adamantius, aka Origen (c.185--254 C.E.). Its Fertile Crescent contained one of the earliest culture hearths where civilization developed. The most significant record of Christian martyrdom, however, is that of March 203, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus (145--211 C.E., ruled 193--211), when Perpetua, a 22 year old noble, and Felicity, whom she enslaved, were martyred in Carthage (now a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia). From the seventh century onwards, Muslim traders from the Maghreb and the Sahara started settling first in some of the market centres in the Sahel and then in the Savanna areas. The Biblical Scholar Jerome (347--420 C.E.) A new attempt to spread Christianity was made when the Church Missionary Society (CMS) arrived from Britain in 1821. While Christianity was made the … The term “North Africa”, in classical and early medieval times, meant essentially Proconsular Africa. Octavian (as he was then known, had defeated Mark Anthony and deposed Queen Cleopatra VII in 30 B.C.E. Romans were enticed by the availability of land for building estates and wealth, and during the first century C.E., north Africa was heavily colonized by Rome. • General History of Africa Volume 2: Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Unesco General History of Africa) ed. ), aka Clement of Alexandria, was a Hellenistic theologian and the first president of the Catechetical School of Alexandria. This meant, of course, that the otherwise 'open-minded' Roman Empire could no longer take a nonchalant attitude to Christianity—persecution, and repression of the religion soon followed, which in turn hardened the Christian converts to their cult. Missionaries faced no strong opposition from any region especially in the interior. Amongst the achievements of Victor I are his endorsement for the change of Easter to the Sunday following the 14th of Nisan (the first month of the Hebrew calendar) and the introduction of Latin as the official language of the Christian church (centered in Rome). In this area great kingdoms of the ancient world, such as Babylon and Persia, arose to shape history. However, we must distinguish between two obvious centers in the first century of the preaching of Christianity on the southern shores of the Mediterranean. Even the idea of holy trinity could be related to various godly triads which were taken to be three aspects of a single deity. This explains why the death of one missionary leader would stop the whole of that missionary group from continuing with its work. Geographical location and the patterns of caravan trade tied these five towns more closely to Egypt than to Carthage and the rest of the western states of North Africa. Jewish Diaspora – During the Second Temple period, Jews were dispersed throughout the Mediterranean world. However, Christianity in most of the areas of North Africa was wiped out with the advent of Islam. 1993-10-01 00:00:00 . Another major reason that led to the rapid spread of Islam in West Africa was the trans-Saharan trade network. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2021 worldatlas.com, The Origin And Growth Of Christianity In Africa, African Countries Where Christianity is the Largest Religion, Types Of Crimes By Number Of Offenses In The US, The 10 Biggest Shopping Malls In The World. By the end of the second century, Carthage had produced a pope (Victor I). Just as Christianity provided a driving force during the Kingdom of Aksum, leading Ezana to conquer neighboring lands, Islam likewise became a unifying and potent force throughout both North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. This was another action that led to the spread of Christianity among a broader scope of audiences. Philip encountered a man from Ethiopia on a road leading from Jerusalem to Gaza. There were few secrets in such a setting. Most of the people lived close together in crowded tenements. records that Tertullian was ordained as a priest, but this has been challenged by Catholic scholars. Born in Carthage, a cultural center much influenced by Roman authority, Tertullian is the first Christian author to write extensively in Latin, for which he was known as the 'Father of Western Theology'. Some religious scholars believe that Christianity was introduced to Africans by way of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. remarked that he added Egypt (Aegyptus) to the empire. One person who brought Christianity to an African is Philip, as recounted in Acts 8:26–40. Ali Unal . The religion also grew in northwestern Africa where the churches maintained links with the Church of Rome. According to tradition, the evangelist Mark was a native Jew of Cyrene, who came to Alexandria by way of the Pentapolis and, afte… Venn sought to develop an African Church by urging missionaries to move on after the seeds had been sown and leaving the native leaders to develop their church. Curiously, Tertullian extolled martyrdom, but is recorded of dying naturally (often quoted as his 'three score and ten'); espoused celibacy, but was married; and wrote copiously, but criticized classical scholarship. Related but distinct from that are the historical reasons why Christianity was able to be successful. Christianity was also very attractive because it set out a code for morality. The third key factor in the spread of Christianity through North Africa was the resentment of the population to Roman administration, particularly the imposition of taxes, and the demand that the Roman Emperor be worshiped akin to a God. 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