Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Christianity has taken root in Sub-Saharan Africa since its introduction by 19th- and 20th-century European and North American missionaries, who established churches, evangelized and pursued community development through education, healthcare, and industrial services. African Christianity exists alongside Islam and traditional African religions, and traditional practices like dreams, visions, and complex rituals have been integrated into Christian spirituality. Christians are concentrated in the South, Middle and East of the continent, with Islam concentrated in the West. From 1970 to 2015, the region’s Christian population grew from 47.5% (134 million) of the total population to 58.7% (565 million), an average annual growth rate of 3.2%. Inculturation and contextualization for the African cultural context are key theological themes, and today there are many African Independent Churches and indigenous Pentecostal groups. Christianity has an important role in Sub-Saharan Africa through socio-economic contributions, political development, spiritual services, inter-religious relations, and social justice.