Course Description
Examines how the different actors engaged with Christianity, mission, and international development in Africa have understood Christianity in different ways, leading to a range of intended and unintended effects from the colonial period until today.
Athena Title
Christianity Mission Intl Dev
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course will address a number of questions related to the effects of introducing Protestant Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa in the nineteenth century and up until today, such as: How was Christianity presented by early European and American missionaries? What was the relationship between the missionary agenda and the simultaneous European colonial agenda? How did Africans see the missionaries’ work, and what was the range of African responses to it? Which types of Christianity have been rejected and which have flourished in Africa, and how did this change from the colonial to the postcolonial era? What does Christianity/ies in Africa look like today? Given that Africa has recently become the continent with the most Christians in the world, which factors have contributed to the explosive growth of Christianity in Africa, and how does this relate to the colonial history we have examined? What are the different effects of Christianity’s influence on current international aid projects in Africa? The course will allow students to: (1) gain a mature understanding of the complicated relationship between Christianity, mission, colonialism, and international development in Africa through readings and class activities; (2) strengthen critical reading and complex thinking skills through the examination and discussion of course readings; (3) develop strong writing and analytical skills through course assignments.
Topical Outline
Sample outline: I. In-depth case study of a European Protestant mission station in early colonial Africa (mid-nineteenth century), including examination of the diverse European and African actors involved, their range of agendas, and the many intended and unintended social effects of the early mission stations. II. Primary sources and scholarly interpretations: A sequence of readings from primary sources, and conflicting interpretations of the missionary impact by scholars from different disciplines (history, anthropology, religious studies). The combination of primary sources and conflicting scholarly interpretations will allow students to begin to build their own reasoned understanding of this historical situation. III. African responses to Christianity: An historical overview of the waves of African responses to Christian mission during the colonial period and the transition to postcolonialism, and the wide range of Christian expressions in Africa today. IV. Christianity and international development: Consideration of the influence of Christianity on current international aid policies and projects, and the complex impact of faith-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as part of the contemporary aid landscape.