Elizabeth Isichei is professor emerita of religious studies at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Her other books include The Religious Traditions of Africa: A History and Voices of the Poor in Africa: Moral Economy and the Popular Imagination.
African Studies Review
"Isichei has provided thoughtful insights into African religion and
the dialogue between indigenous thought and Christianity. In this
current work, the product of a lifetime of serious research and
reflection is presented." Booklist
"The word encyclopedic seems somehow inadequate for a book whose
subject spans 2,000 years on a continent as large and diverse as
Africa. . . But it is probably the best word available to convey
the scope and style of Isichei's book, which is informative and
readable and will surely become an important reference for
historians and others interested in Africa, in Christianity, or in
both. . . By chronicling diverse African struggles to disentangle
and encounter it anew, and by teasing out a thread of descent that
predates colonialism, Isichei lays a foundation for a more
conscious and critical encounter with Christianity's enculturation
outside Africa as well as in. That is a welcome contribution to the
understanding of Africa and Christianity, a corrective to a history
of interpretation that has too often confused them with their
'inventions' by the West." Catholic Library World
"This scholarly yet eminently readable history fills a void; it
documents the history of Christianity in Africa from first-century
Egypt to the twentieth century missions. . . [This] thoroughly
researched book is written in clear language that is easy to
understand." Choice
"Isichei's welcome book meets a great need. . . She writes lucidly,
is evenhanded, and presents fascinating details of African
acceptance, rejection, and adaptation of Christianity, from
expatriate and African points of view. . . Isichei's accomplishment
is startling in its breadth and sensitivity." Christian Scholars
Review
"A very readable work which will doubtless cause students to take a
renewed interest in the interaction between western Christianity
and Africa. . . An overview of modern African history and the
growth of the church. It is packed full of delightful stories and
vivid insights, making the book enjoyable to read." Church
History
"It is with congratulation one greets this book, not least for its
beautiful production and (in American terms) reasonable cost. . .
It is a complicated story well told and usefully arranged, stronger
of course on Nigeria and on great sweeping themes, but displaying a
creditable knowledge of the overseas archives, dusty and far-flung,
as well as field experience in various lands." Expository Times
"Written in an authoritative, yet highly readable style which owes
much to the fact that the author is both an African historian and a
professor of religion. The book is well laid out. . . An excellent
book which will be of much benefit to both students and teachers of
African Christianity." International Bulletin of Missionary
Research
"A kaleidoscopic book--covering the whole of African Christianity
from the very beginning to our days--brimming with hundreds of
persons, characters, quotes, and anecdotes. A brilliant supplement
to the recent works on African Christianity by John Baur and Adrian
Hastings." Journal of Religion
"A clear historical survey of the various periods and places where
Christianity has had an effect in Africa. . . The strength of this
survey is its chronological frame and the broad, yet fundamental
and well-researched information it summarizes. With its several
maps and charts, this is a valuable one-volume introduction, one
that would make a good textbook." Missiology
"This is an exciting book, not merely because we need a one-volume
summary, but because the scholarship is excellent, the style is
concise and beautiful, and it is full of insights and connections
which challenge." The Catholic Historical Review
"There has been a need for a comprehensive introduction to the
history of African Christianity ever since that continent emerged
from its colonial condition to consist of a body of self-governing
political communities. Such a history has now been produced by
Professor Isichei in this well-researched volume, which has managed
to cover the intended extent of both place and time in a way which
is both eminently readable and most convincing. . . Altogether
Professor Isichei has produced not simply a fascinating account of
rival churches in Africa but a convincing history of African
Christianity."
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