Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Christianity
Christianity arrived in West Africa later than Islam, during the age of colonial exploration;
after the first wave of explorers, missionaries were among the first colonial settlers in West
Africa. In general their success was limited in Sahelian countries where Islam had been es-
tablished centuries before, but they found more fertile ground further south where tradition-
al religions held sway. This story is reflected in the current distribution of Christian strong-
holds: Christianity is the majority religion in Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ghana and Liberia,
and the largest religion in Benin and Togo. There are also significant Christian minorities in
Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire.
As with Islam, many West African Christians have held on to their traditional beliefs,
and these are often practised side by side with Christianity. More often, the use of stories
from traditional religions were inserted into Bible stories so as to make them more relevant
to a West African audience, meaning that some liturgical and even some belief systems
may appear different to the way that Christianity is practised in the West. There has,
however, been something of a backlash against such doctrinal fusions, resulting in the rise
of sometimes quite conservative evangelical churches that are becoming increasingly influ-
ential in some areas, particularly in Nigeria.
Islam: A Short History,
by Karen Armstrong, is a first-rate primer on the world's fastest-growing religion; it's
distinguished by a fair-minded approach and clear language.
