What religions were in Africa before colonization?

Two major world religions, Christianity and Islam, had been present in parts of Africa for several centuries before the Atlantic slave trade. Both world religions have had profound impact on many African societies. Christianity dramatically entered Africa in two waves.

When did missionaries come to Africa?

Missionary work in central and southern Africa began in the early 19th century, before Europeans had colonized those regions. Missionaries were among the earliest explorers of central and southern Africa.

What religion did Arab traders bring to Africa?

Islam first came to West Africa as a slow and peaceful process, spread by Muslim traders and scholars. The early journeys across the Sahara were done in stages. Goods passed through chains of Muslim traders, purchased, finally, by local non-Muslims at the southern most end of the route.

Why did missionaries came to Africa?

Many people in Africa wanted education; and missionaries taught people to read, in order that they might understand the word of God. The missionary traveler David Livingstone (1813-1873) believed that the slave trade could only be suppressed by a combination of Christianity and trade.

Who brought religion to Africa?

In the 15th century Christianity came to Sub-Saharan Africa with the arrival of the Portuguese. In the South of the continent the Dutch founded the beginnings of the Dutch Reform Church in 1652. In the interior of the continent most people continued to practice their own religions undisturbed until the 19th century.

Which religions can claim to have originated in Africa?

According to the author Lugira, the Traditional African religions are the only religions “that can claim to have originated in Africa. Other religions found in Africa have their origins in other parts of the world.”

Where is Islam the dominant religion in Africa?

Islam is the dominant religion in North Africa and some of the Horn of Africa, which is majority Christian. It has also become the predominant religion on the Swahili Coast as well as the West African seaboard and parts of the interior.

How did the spread of Islam affect African culture?

Similarly, in the Swahili coast, Islam made its way inland – spreading at the expense of traditional African religions. This expansion of Islam in Africa not only led to the formation of new communities in Africa, but it also reconfigured existing African communities and empires to be based on Islamic models.

What percentage of Africa’s population is Christian?

The World Book Encyclopedia has estimated that in 2002 Christians formed 40\% of the continent’s population, with Muslims forming 45\%. It was also estimated in 2002 that Christians form 45\% of Africa’s population, with Muslims forming 40.6\%.