Academic Works on the History, Growth and Development of Christianity in Africa: A Retrospective and Perspective Appraisal

The large volume of existing literature on the history, growth and development of Christianity in Africa have been addressed to different categories of readers at different periods in the history of the continent. The purposes of each of the writers differ, depending on their fields of specialization and the objectives that they intend to achieve through their works. This paper categorizes some of the works on African Christianity into various fields such as: history, sociology, politics and comparative. It also discusses the content and context of the works in terms of their contributions to the existing body of knowledge. The paper reveals the inadequacies of the works under examination and lists areas in African Christianity which have not sufficiently engaged the researchers’ pen.