Christianity: Out of Africa

Morrison, Pat, National Catholic Reporter

Thanks to a largely white, Western take on history, many Catholics tend to think that Christianity arrived on the African continent as the result of European-based missionary efforts that began in the 15th century. But a closer look at church history reveals a much different picture.

The first mention of Africa and the Good News of Jesus occurs in the first pages of the Acts of the Apostles--before the conversion of Saul. In the eighth chapter of Acts, the apostle Philip encounters an Ethiopian, the chief treasurer of the queen of Ethiopia. Joining the early African chief financial officer in his chariot, Philip gives him a crash course in scripture that explains Jesus in the …

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Publication information: Article title: Christianity: Out of Africa. Contributors: Morrison, Pat - Author. Magazine title: National Catholic Reporter. Volume: 38. Issue: 39 Publication date: September 13, 2002. Page number: 12+. © 2009 National Catholic Reporter. COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group.

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