In Quest of Wholeness: African Christians in the New Christianity

Abstract

The decline of Christianity in the West has not meant the demise of that faith as some overzealous sociologists in the last century predicted, but has been compensated by the phenomenal growth of Christianity in the Southern Hemisphere. Southern Christianity comes with plenty of local color that makes it different from what was or is practiced in the West. In some cases those marks are so different that Western Christians may not even recognize certain elements of the faith. This component of newness in the expression of Christianity in the South has led some to speak of a “new Christianity.” This article focuses on how this new Christianity manifests itself in Africa and explains how its explosive growth there is partly empowered by the African understanding that religion is crucial in the human quest for wholeness. This is why the new Christianity focuses on those aspects of African tradition and culture that are perceived as impediments to achieving wholeness. It describes the background that gave birth to the new Christianity in Africa, and then critically examines some of its focal elements. The article concludes with observations concerning how the new Christianity in Africa can influence world, and especially Western, Christianity.