The first Annual African Apologetics Conference engages with postmodern and traditional African world views by asking the question if Christianity is the faith for Africa.
Christian group Apologetics Kenya hosted the even, which involved, over 26 lectures, public apologetics debates, panels and workshop. Those involved were African theologians, church leaders and Christian activists.
“Younger generations are asking about the validity of their Christian faith in a global world,” Kevin Muriithi, chairmanof Apologetics Kenya. “We decided, since COVID is there and we have the technology, then why don’t we do something special?”
Muriithi mentioned that Christians in Africa face an apologetics challenge. They must be grounded enough in biblical truth to argue with postmodernism, traditional Western atheism, traditional African religions and Christians that believe the prosperity gospel.
“We need to be able to understand what we believe and why we believe it as Christians and Africans,” he said. “We need to answer those questions with confidence, clarity and compassion.”
According to Pew Research, there are 70 times more Christians in Africa than in 1900, which also makes the continent the one with the most people who identify themselves as Christian.
However, Muriithi, explains that these numbers presented are relative as many African Christians believe in the prosperity gospel and don’t really understand the real Gospel of Christ.
“Some feel uncomfortable with Christianity because of the colonial past. They turn to critical race theory or traditional tribal faiths because they feel like Christianity is a “white man’s religion,” Muriithi said.
Muriithi cited the words of Kenya’s first prime minister, Jomo Kenyatta, who once said: “When the missionaries arrived, the Africans had the land and the missionaries had the Bible. They taught how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the land and we had the Bible.”
Africans have been part of Christian history since the beginning, Muriithi explained. Jesus spent his childhood in Egypt, the African Simon of Cyrene carried his cross when he grew too weak to bear it and one of the first converts to Christianity was an Ethiopian court official. Some of the Church’s most important theologians, including Saint Augustine, Athanasius of Alexandria and Origen, all came from Africa.
“Looking at Christianity, it’s been there for a pretty long time,” Muriithi said.
Christianity grows quickly in Africa for two reasons, he explained. First, God has blessed and moved within the Church on the continent. Secondly, African cultures place a high value on living in community result in the rapid spread of the Gospel. People tell their friends about God instead of seeing faith as a quiet, personal decision.
“If someone trusts in Christ, they share their story with those around them,” he said. “The church is really a part of society in Africa. People come to their church for support. That makes Christianity very much a part of everyday life.”
Source: Black Christian News