The Changing Face of African Christianity: Reverse Mission in Transnational and Global Perspectives

The twenty-first century has been described as the era of the global South. Christianity has experienced exponential growth in the southern hemisphere. African Christianity, in particular, has made significant strides and put a stamp on global Christianity. This is the result of the phenomenal rise in the number of Christians on the continent and also reflects the Christian churches’ unprecedented role in the political and social transformation of Africa since the end of the Cold War. The world has taken notice of African Christianity’s role in civil society and re-democratization efforts as well as its role in the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of African Christianity in the contemporary period is the shift I have described as the reverse mission phenomenon—African missionaries venturing to the cosmopolitan centers, especially in Europe and America, to reevangelize the West. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.