The twentieth-century growth and character of Christianity in Africa is without historical precedent, yet information on the major creative and innovative local figures and leaders of this growth—from local evangelists and pastors to nationally known Christian leaders—is sadly lacking from standard historical and biographical reference works. This paper tells the story of an international undertaking to produce an electronic biographical database on African Christian leaders who have laid the foundations and advanced the growth of Christian communities in Africa. The Dictionary will cover the whole field of African Christianity from earliest times to the present and cover the entire continent. It will be produced in English, French, and Portuguese.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AndersonGerald H., ed. 1998Biographical Dictionary of Christian Mission. New York: Macmillan Reference.
2.
BarrettDavid B.1998“Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission: 1998.”International Bulletin of Missionary Research22(1):26–27.
3.
BaurJohn19942000 Years of Christianity in Africa. Nairobi, Kenya: Paulines Publications Africa.
4.
BrockmanNorbert C.1994An African Biographical Dictionary. Oxford, UK: ABC-CLIO, Inc.
5.
de KockW. J., ed. 1967Dictionary of South African Biography. Pretoria, South Africa: Published for the National Council for Social Research, Department of Higher Education, by Nasionale Boekhandel Bpk.
6.
DouglasJ. D.MoreauA. ScottElwellA., eds. 1995Twentieth Century Dictionary of Christian Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
7.
DuffyJamesFreyMitsueSimsMichael, comps. 1978The International Directory of Scholars and Specialists in African Studies. Waltham, MA: Crossroads Press.
8.
GeyerDouglas W., project director 1993International Christian Literature Documentation Project: A Subject, Author, and Corporate Name Index to Nonwestern Christian Literature. Prepared for publication by American Theological Library Association (ATLA) staff under the direction of Lowell K. Handy. 2 vols. Evanston, IL: ATLA.
9.
IsicheiElizabeth A.1995History of Christianity in Africa: From Antiquity to the Present. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans; Lawrenceville, NJ: Africa World Press.
LandesDavid S.1998The Wealth and the Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some Are So Poor. New York and London, UK: W. W. Norton.
12.
LipschutzMark R.RasmussenR. Kent1978Dictionary of African Historical Biography. London, UK: Heinemann.
13.
LipschutzMark R.RasmussenR. Kent1986Dictionary of African Historical Biography. Expanded and updated. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
14.
LynchPatrick J.1995“Publishing on the World Wide Web: Organization and Design.”Syllabus8(9):9.
15.
Ofosu-AppiahL. H., editor-in-chief 1977, 1979 The Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography (2 volumes). New York: Reference Publications Inc.
16.
OrimoloyeS. A.1977Biographia Nigeriana: A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Nigerians. Boston, MA: G. K. Hall & Co..
17.
PetersonStephen L.DirectorProject1994“Mission Studies Resource Development Project Final Report.” Prepared… under a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jonathan J. Bonk, Project Associate; Joan Duffy, Research Assistant.
18.
RosenthalEric, comp. 1966Southern African Dictionary of National Biography. London, UK; and New York: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd.
19.
RothenbergJeff1995“Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Documents.”Scientific American272(1):42–45.
20.
ShankDavid A.1986“The Legacy of William Wadé Harris.”International Bulletin of Missionary Research10(4):170–176.
21.
SchumacherE. F.1977A Guide for the Perplexed. New York: Harper & Row Publishers.
22.
WallsAndrew F.1990“Conversion and Christian Continuity.”Mission Focus18(2):17–21.
23.
WallsAndrew F.1991“Structural Problems in Mission Studies.”International Bulletin of Missionary Research15(4):146–155.
24.
WhitfieldPeter1994The Image of the World: 20 Centuries of World Maps. San Francisco, CA: Pomegranate Artbooks in association with the British Library.
25.
WildstromStephen H.1996“Bulletin Board: Data Life Span.”Business Week June 17:22.
