What We Learned About Africa
The Pew Forum issued an extensive report on the world's "most religious" continent.
[ posted 6/3/2010 9:04AM ]
Download a PDF of this article here
Copyright © 2010 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere:
The report, Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, is available from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Religion News Service also reported on the report.
Previous Christianity Today articles on Africa include:
Africa Unbound | God may be clearing the stage for the next act in his redemptive drama. (November 21, 2007)
Gospel Riches | Africa's rapid embrace of prosperity Pentecostalism provokes concern—and hope. (July 6, 2007)
On the Edge of Famine | Politics hinders aid to 11 million East Africans. (June 1, 2006)
CT previously spotlighted American Idol, Haiti, Robert Park, persecution, Supreme Court and crosses, and international religious liberty advocates.
God Among the Roma
Dreams, visions, and healings spur new disciples among the 10-12 million Roma in Europe.
Grieving with the Good Friday God
Shannon Polson sought healing from her father's death by retracing his fatal journey into the Alaskan wilderness.
La complejidad hispana: Todo cambió en el 2012
¿Hacia dónde vamos?—Una palabra para los creyentes hispanos sobre forjar un futuro.
Subscribe now for a year (10 issues) at $24.95 for print, iPad, and instant web access.
You must be a Christianity Today subscriber to post comments
(on articles open to the public, you must at least register for a free account).
(on articles open to the public, you must at least register for a free account).
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Newsletters
Google
Comments
Displaying 1–3 of 9 comments
See all comments
janet sparrow
many tribes are very happy , living off the forest with their own beliefs in a God. are we doing more harm by forcing a western culture on them that they do not understand and impiorishes them rather than improve?
Rajiv B
American Christianity is still more idolatrous and worldly than anywhere else in the world. And to the dispensationalist bigot who asserts that "charismatic" Christians are responsible for the situation in Africa, think again because pentecostals in Africa tend to be the most theologically orthodox denomination. Most of the Africans who practice syncretic beliefs tend to be in the category of "Catholic". By the way, most of the violent Christians in Africa tend to be nominal baptists and other dispensationalist, mainline protestant denominations.
Bruce Fleming
The percentages and observations from Pew are all over the map - literally. Africans report that they are Christians on Sunday, but not the rest of the week. They look for training, but obviously what they have learned has not been usable by them. The underlying truth is that most non-Westerners in the world learn by oral methods. They think think in terms of event, relationship, and story. After Matthew-Acts, the books of the New Testament are letters that contain abstract ideas that are foreign to oral communicators. Those who God has gifted to feed the rest (Eph 4:11) in Africa's churches need to be trained in an oral presentation of the NT Letters. Those books deal with the Christian life. Until we do, this sad state will continue. Practical issues will not be addressed. Pray for the Lord to raise up workers to work in this important field! Bruce C. E. Fleming Think Again Ministries