CHURCH HISTORY II: AFRICAN CHURCH HISTORY

This seminal work provides a comprehensive re-examination of African Church History, spanning two millennia of theological development, cultural resilience, and indigenous agency. Bishop Obiano moves beyond the conventional "missionary narrative" to present Africa as a primary architect of global Christian orthodoxy.

The book is structured to guide the reader through the "Five Great Eras" of African Christianity:

1. The Foundation: The intellectual dominance of Alexandria and Carthage.
2. The Survival: The endurance of the Ethiopian and Coptic traditions amidst Islamic expansion.
3. The Encounter: The complex interaction between the Gospel and European colonial powers.
4. The Awakening: The rise of the African Independent Churches (AICs).
5. The Explosion: The modern Pentecostal revolution and the shifting of the global center of gravity to Africa.

Key Theological Contributions

In this book, Bishop Obiano argues that the survival of the Church in Africa is not a result of foreign imposition, but of divine providence and indigenous translation. He emphasizes that for the Gospel to remain vibrant, it must be "inculturated"—rooted deeply in the language, music, and social reality of the African people.