LD215

Jerry Spain

A History of the Church in Africa: A Survey from a Pentecostal Perspective highlights the background, beginning, and development of the church of Jesus Christ in Africa from a pentecostal perspective. The course demonstrates how African Christianity is vital to the larger picture of Christian history. The author uses the analogy of a river to illustrate the plan of God. He also explores the concept of the kingdom of God and discusses how the African church witnessed to God’s mission (missio Dei) by expanding to North Africa along the Nile corridor and to other locations below the Sahara desert. The course also examines the reasons why the church collapsed for the most part in North Africa and Nubia but survived in Ethiopia. The author believes that lessons must also be learned about medieval African Christianity. In addition, this course examines the reasons for the European settlement in Africa and the impact this had on the spread of Christianity. Special attention is given to the history of the Pentecostal movement. Questions addressed include the following: What is the relationship of past, present, and future events in the African church? What are the long-term effects resulting from seeing the African church as a missionary church? What is the strategic place of the African church in the end-times?