Christianity: An Indigenous African Religion

Abstract

A closer look at the 1^st – 5^th centuries demonstrates a crucial period of African influence on early Christian formation. The impact is seen across the emerging faith, from theological contributions to ecclesiastical leadership. The paper provides historical evidence of Africa's contact with Christianity, spanning from the days of Jesus through the Apostles' era to the patristic and modern eras.  It, therefore, appraises the backgrounds and contributions of some major African Church Fathers and Mothers from the 2^nd – 5^th centuries. It further explores the place of African Christianity today particularly because the Edinburgh Conference of 1900 predicted that Christianity would be extinct in Africa. Still, today, Africa has become a major Christian center as part of the global south. The paper affirms that African Christianity has much to offer to global Christian expression and must therefore be allowed to interact with the culture to meet its adherents' needs.