Let the Remembering Begin: Giving Early African Christianity a Voice

Thomas C. Oden in his book, How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity, challenges both the global North and South to study the profound way in which African teachers have shaped world Christianity. Oden argues that, “Africa played a decisive role in the formation of Christian culture. Decisive intellectual achievements to Christianity were explored and understood first in Africa before they were recognized in Europe, and a millennium before they found their way to North America” (9). Oden particular is challenging young Africans to reclaim their intellectual heritage. For too long, Eurocentric church history has dominated the field and ignored the significance of early African Christianity. Moreover, “Not only Westerners but tragically many African scholars and church leaders also have ignored their earliest African Christian ancestors” (11). Oden gives two main reasons for this dismissal: First, several of the African scholars studied in the West and are influenced by the Eurocentric readings of church history. Second, Oden argues that “Some have been so intent on condemning nineteenth-century colonialist missionary history that they have hardly glimpsed their own momentous premodern patristic African intellectual heritage. Even black nationalist advocates who have exalted every other conceivable aspect of the African tradition seem to have consistently ignored is patristic gift lying at their feet” (11). Thus, Oden gives a passionate plea for the ancient African voice to be rediscovered and to let it yet again speak powerfully into the lives of 21^st century Christians.

 

Odom’s plea for rediscovering the early voice of African Christianity raises two basic questions. First, who exactly are the African teachers that were so influential? Some of the heavyweight African teachers that Oden refers to are: Origen, Tertullian, Cyprian, Athanasius, Augustine etc. For a more exhaustive list of major figures visit Oden’s website by following this link:  http://www.earlyafricanchristianity.com/majorfigures/augustine.html\

 

A second question that arises, is in what exact ways did African Christianity shape Western Christianity? Oden identifies seven major ways in which Africa shaped the Christian mind (he has limited himself to seven ways but argues that more could easily be given). At the core of his argument lies his thesis in which he states that “much intellectual history flowed south to north: from Mumidia to Sicily to France and Italy. It flowed from the Nile to the Euphrates and the Danube. It flowed from Pelusium to Gaza to Cappadocia. An unfinished task of the coming era of African scholarship is to set forth this intermediary evidence textually, archaeologically and paleographically” (72). In order to bolster his thesis Oden identifies seven major ways in which Africa shaped the Christian mind:

·         “How the birth of European university was anticipated within African Chrsitanity

·         How Christian historical and spiritual exegesis of Scripture first matured in Africa

·         How African thinkers shaped the very core of the most basic early Christian dogma

·         How early ecumenical decisions followed African conciliar patterns

·         How Africa shaped Western forms of spiritual formation through monastic discipline

·         How Neoplatonic philosophy of late antiquity moved from Africa to Europe

·         How influential literary and dialectical skills were refined in Africa” (42-43.)

Oden only scratches the surfaces of these seven ways in which African Christianity has shaped Western Christianity. He shows the plausibility of his argument but leaves it up to others (in his eyes hopefully African scholars) to substantiate and prove his hypothesis.

 

The Importance of Remembering

It has become almost become a cliché to say that we study the past in order to deal with the future better (to learn from the past; to not repeat the mistakes of the past, to let the past speak into current predicaments, etc.) For Christians the past is significant. The Israelites when they crossed Jordan into the Promised Land they were instructed to erect stones in order to remember what God had done on their behalf (Joshua 4:1-9). In the Lord’s Supper we remember what Christ has done.

 

Remembering has always played an important role in the life of the church. Oden pleads for remembering the significance of African Christianity and challenges us to let this rich history and heritage speak to us today. The voice has been silenced for too long and it is time to unleash it.

 

For me the most intriguing aspect out of the seven ways in which African Christianity has shaped Western Christianity is “how early ecumenical decisions followed African conciliar patterns.” This is particularly useful since the early Christian teachers provide us with patterns of how to resolve difficult issues that the church faces today and to reach a consensus. Odem points out how, “African Christians are once again struggling with major potential divisions that threaten the unity of the body of Christ. They now have the benefit of learning about conflict resolution from their ancient African mentors. From that history they learn that not every difference of opinion is demonic and not every union is of God” (107). Some of the major issues that were first tackled and settled on African soil in African synods before the Council of Nicaea,  “were issues on penitence, diocesan boundaries, episcopal authority and ordination as well as issues on the person of Christ and triune teaching. The main voices in these debates were African. They sorted out the ecumenical acceptability of the views of Sabellius, Tertullian, Arius, Athanasius and Origen – all Africans. Ecclesiology and penitential patterns that became normative for Europe were first tested in Africa with the issues first raised by Demetrius of Alexandria, Cyprian of Carthage, Optatus of Milevis and Augustine of Hippo” (51). Furthermore Oden points out that, “The fact that the seven general ecumenical councils accepted by the East and West occurred in Asia Minor does not mean that the decisions they proclaimed as consensual were originated in Asia Minor. They merely confirmed exegetical studies that were hammered out previously and indeed largely in Africa at the earliest layers” (50-51).

Oden presents us with a rich heritage that is at our disposal and that has the ability to speak to us powerfully today. Let the remembering (and studying) begin.