Why did missionaries want to spread Christianity to Africa?

European missionaries wanted to spread Christianity and teach it to less educated and wealthy people in Africa as one cause for imperialism – They mainly saw it as their duty to be carried out and it is commonly referred to as “The White Man’s Burden”, taken from Rudyard Kipling’s poem.

Why did Africa accept Christianity?

Through North Africa, Christianity was embraced as the religion of dissent against the expanding Roman Empire. In the 4th century AD the Ethiopian King Ezana made Christianity the kingdom’s official religion. In 312 Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

What was the main reason for missionary activity in Africa?

The expansion of the missionary movement into Africa was part of the growing conception of Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. The anti-slavery issue and the humanitarian conscience also played a vital role in stimulating European interest in Africa and gave an impetus to mission work.

When did the first missionaries arrived in Africa?

In 1490 the first missionaries came to Sub-Saharan Africa at the request of King Nzinga of Kongo (also known as the Manikongo).

How did missionaries help in the development of Africa?

In 19th century sub-Saharan Africa, missions invested in numerous activities, amongst which were education, health care and printing. Protestant missionaries pioneered the development of a written tradition for sub-Saharan African languages.

How did Christian missionary activity affect development in Africa?

This column, taken from a recent Vox eBook, looks at the effects of the Christian missionary activity that expanded throughout African countries from the middle of the 19th century. It shows how the diversity of investments brought by Christian missionaries to the region had different, and sometimes conflicting, effects on long-term development.

What was the role of missions in 19th century Sub-Saharan Africa?

In 19th century sub-Saharan Africa, missions invested in numerous activities, amongst which were education, health care and printing. Protestant missionaries pioneered the development of a written tradition for sub-Saharan African languages.

Does Christianity have long-term effects on development in Sub-Saharan Africa?

In this column, we will show that Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa had long-lasting consequences on development. In particular, we show that the diversity of investments brought by Christian missionaries to the region had different, and sometimes conflicting, effects on long-term development.

What is the history of Christianity in West Africa?

The Portuguese were the first to introduce the Christian faith into West Africa but following their departure from the West Coast in the mid-seventeenth century, the Christian religion survived only in Upper Guinea where a bishop was maintained in the Cape Verde Islands serving also a part of the mainland.