Is Christianity The White Man’s Religion?
“I know you’re sincere. But honestly, the reason you’re a Christian is that Christians kidnapped your ancestors from Africa and brought them over to America as slaves, then indoctrinated them with the religion of the conquerors. They forced your ancestors to accept Christianity because it served the interests of those in power.” — A Father, in a letter, to his daughter
Like this father, more and more people in the black diaspora in the West are rejecting or leaving Christianity for what they understand to be a fundamental incompatibility between their Black heritage and the Christian religion. After all if Christianity is rooted in Europe, and was forced onto Africans through slavery, exploitation, and robbery, why should anyone, in Africa or in the diaspora, hold to Christianity? And that is a perfectly legitimate question!
It cannot be denied that Christianity was used by European invaders as a religious tool, among many other tools, to rob, kill, and enslave millions of Africans and African Americans. As a Christian that is a reality of the Church’s history that I grieve over knowing that it ought to be denounced as sinful and understanding the urgent and abiding need for full restitution (and yes, including reparations).
What I hope to do here, is not to avoid the horrible acts of violence by Europeans in the name of Christianity, but rather to show that Africa is more present at the roots of Christianity than we have been led to believe. In short, Christianity cannot be the White Man’s Religion because Africa is present at the root and foundation of the Christian Faith — if you remove Africa from the story of Christianity, there no longer is any story to tell. Here are two reasons why this is the case.
The Bible as a Case Study
We read in Genesis that one of the rivers of Eden ran around the whole land of Cush, and another encircled the land of Havilah that yielded gold and onyx and bdellium (Genesis 2:10–13). These products were found, in antiquity, principally in the area that now constitutes modern day Sudan. If the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are located in Babylonia, then there is good reason to believe some of Eden laid in Africa.
Persons of African descent appear to have taken an active role in Israel’s social and political life. From the bride in Song of Solomon who is “black and beautiful” (Song of Solomon 1:5) to a Cushite who possessed tact, discretion, and a high position in the royal court as a trusted courtier sent to tell David news of Absalom’s death (2 Sam 18:19–32). Africans continued to enjoy royal favour, as Solomon married an Egyptian princess (1 Kg 9:16, 24; 2 Chr 8:11) and received the Queen of Sheba (1 Kg 10:1–13; 2 Chr 9:1–2). The Queen of Sheba may have initially come to Solomon to negotiate a trade treaty with his growing maritime power. Though she tested him with hard questions, in the end she told him all that was in her heart. It appears that in this black woman Solomon found a kindred spirit with whom he could discourse freely.
Even in the New Testament, the kingdom of Cush continues to play a role in the New Testament. In Acts 8:26–39, we read of the conversion of Candace’s Ethiopian treasurer. And as the church at Antioch prayed, searched the Scriptures and strategised for a full year, a core of leaders developed. Of the five who are named, two are African: Lucius of Cyrene, and Simon called the Black (Acts 13:1–2).
Early Christian History as a Case Study
Mark, who according to Coptic tradition was born in Cyrene (modern day Libya), was the first bishop of the orthodox church in Alexandria (43 AD) and is considered to be the father of Christianity in Africa.
Additionally, in the first three centuries, the majority of Christianity’s seminal theologians were born and bred in Africa; theologians such as Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine to name a few. It was in Africa that you had the earliest translations of the new testament from Greek into the language of the people (specifically into Latin [which began in north Africa] and the Sahidic dialect of Coptic).
Perpetua and Felicitas were two martyrs who died in the Carthage arena in 202 AD for their Christian faith. Their story was widely used in converting others to Christ and they serve as two examples of early African Christian martyrs.
Another African, Origen (185–254), became the director of a catechetical school at age 18. Origen was highly successful in debating Jews, pagans, and Gnostics, and is in fact credited with destroying Gnosticism. This important biblical scholar, theologian, exegete, and pioneer in biblical criticism produced the Hexapla, comparing six versions of the Bible. He profoundly influenced the theological thought of the succeeding centuries.
Two other African theologians worthy of attention are; Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria. Athanasius (296–373), was Bishop of Alexandria and a major theologian and writer. He was the chief upholder of the doctrine that Christ was both man and God, and was the principle opponent of the Arian doctrine that Jesus was man rather than God. Even as a very young deacon, he was influential at the Council of Nicea. Opponents referred to him as the “black dwarf.” Cyril, who died in 444, was also Bishop of Alexandria. He brilliantly represented and systematised the teachings of Athanasius and other Alexandrians.
As African scholar John S. Mbiti has brilliantly put it,
“Christianity in Africa is so old that it can rightly be described as an indigenous, traditional and African religion. Long before the start of Islam in the seventh century, Christianity was well established all over North Africa, Egypt, parts of the Sudan and Ethiopia.”
