Biblical Christianity in African Perspective

The truth of Christianity is timeless. But though the teaching of Scripture does not change from place to place, understanding how God speaks to our own culture can deepen our appreciation for the Bible.

Biblical Christianity in African Perspective surveys the essentials of Christianity from a distinctly African worldview. Speaking from 50 years of studying the Word of God – including 40 years spent relating the Bible to Africa – Wilbur O'Donovan addresses the major tenets of the Christian faith and many of the most important moral and spiritual issues of African life.

Unlike most theology books, Biblical Christianity in African Perspective is written in readable everyday language, including many true African stories. It contains input from over 300 African theological students and faculty in various schools.

God is speaking to Africa through the Bible. If you’re curious about how to relate what Scripture has to say to the world around you, this book will illuminate the truth of biblical Christianity from an African perspective.

Wilbur O'Donovan holds a BAE degree from Cornell University as well as an MA and a Doctor of Ministry degrees from Columbia International University. He has been a missionary in West and East Africa for more than 40 years. During those years, he has been on the teaching faculties of more than 10 theological and missionary training schools.

Dr O'Donovan was the founder and first principal of the Nigeria Evangelical Missionary Institute under the Nigeria Evangelical Fellowship. He was most recently a lecturer at Moffat Bible College in Kijabe, Kenya. He and his wife Esther have two children, who are both missionaries in East Africa with their families.

The experience Bill O’Donovan has gained during his many years with African Christian students has given him a great understanding of the struggles they face in applying doctrinal issues to their cultural context. Written in everyday language, this book will sharpen a student’s understanding of the issues, both doctrinal and practical, that face African Christians today. —Dr Haruun Ruun, former Secretary General of the New Sudan Council of Churches, former President and Secretary General of the Sudan Interior Church

This book is an attempt at relating biblical Christianity to the African context. It has succeeded in bringing to focus how the Bible addresses the African worldview. Its strengths lie in its simplicity of language, clarity of presentation, and focus on integration of biblical truths and African worldview. The results of which, it is hoped, will define a new Christian worldview in an African context. —Dr Yusufu Turaki, Theological Education Secretary of ECWA and past president of ECWA Theological Seminary, Jos, Nigeria

This book is unique among the books I have read on the subject. It is pictorial, simple, and precisely to the point. It is easy to read and understandable, both for the “giraffes” and the “dick-dicks” (terms coined to describe the scholarly and the popular). I therefore recommend it as an additional textbook for theological institutions in Africa and for the neighborhood, irrespective of academic levels, as it is not intended to support controversy but to strengthen Christians. —Dr Titus M. Kivunzi, former Principal, Scott Theological College, Kenya

Bill’s familiarity with the African scene qualifies him to write a book such as this. It is both biblical and African in its orientation. It is simple, clear, and contextual in nature. —Dr Julius K. Muthengi, former Academic Dean, Scott Theological College, Kenya