Africans and Africa in the Bible: An Ethnic and Geographic Approach

Many people believe that Christianity or the Bible are Western, imported into Africa in the last couple centuries by European and North American missionaries. However, there are Africans and African places mentioned throughout the Bible, which this work identifies and explains thoroughly. Africans and Africa have featured in the story of God and his people since ancient times, from Hagar, Phinehas, and the Pharaohs through to the Ethiopian eunuch and the Christians in Antioch. This practical tool is a treasure chest of information about Africans who intersect Old Testament accounts and appear at key moments in the New Testament. This book shows the presence and the participation of Africans in the biblical text, helping demonstrate that Christianity is not a "white man's religion," and that Christianity has deep roots in African soil. It looks at all those in the Bible who can legitimately be considered as African, supporting its findings with both ancient and modern scholarship. Extensive appendices indicate precisely the African people and places mentioned either directly or indirectly in the Christian Scriptures, supporting the premise that Africans are not simply recipients of the Gospel message, but they are an integral part of it. It is time for the Church in Africa to recognize its very rich biblical heritage.