Historical Trajectories of Catholicism in Africa

“Iheanacho highlights the turns and courses that the church took to reach its current status. The author’s vision of the African church is a church that neither marginalizes herself nor shies away from discussing important issues and policies. This study, with its five chapters tracing the historical trajectories of contemporary Catholicism in Africa, will be of great benefit to a worldwide readership.”


—Paul B. Steffen, Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome





“This new history of Catholicism in Africa by Valentine Iheanacho is an outstanding achievement. Based on solid historiographical research, with a sensitive antenna for theoretical shifts in scholarship, it tells a fascinating story. This is more than the past; it is history with an ethical concern about the role of African Christianity in today’s world and for the global church.”


—Rian Venter, University of the Free State, South Africa





“A static church soon becomes irrelevant. In this book, Iheanacho takes the reader on a historic journey, outlining how the Catholic Church is continuously working on its contextual ministry on the African continent. This is an important publication for the church and Africa, especially as we face the most vital challenges on how we understand humanity, community, and the environment.”


—Wessel Bentley, Research Institute for Theology and Religion, University of South Africa





“Although the evangelization of Africa as a whole is a recent phenomenon, the Catholic Church has found fertile ground on the continent. Valentine Iheanacho’s study highlights the Holy See’s action aimed at the formation of solid local churches . . . and envisages a development for the African churches in conformity with their identity, capable of enriching the pluralism of the universal church.”


—Silvano Giordano, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome