The surprising discovery of early African Christianity: rethinking traditional historical narratives

This issue of the Journal of African Christian Biography focuses on the early Christian era in Africa. It highlights the influence of Thomas Oden and the Center for Early African Christianity (CEAC) on the study of the Early Church in its relationship to Early African Christian history. In his work, How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind, Oden proposes a thought-provoking hypothesis: the direction of intellectual leadership in early Christian history predominantly flowed from South to North, from Africa to Europe, challenging the common misconception of a North to South trajectory. Oden acknowledged that this hypothesis had yet to be fully substantiated, nevertheless he remained convinced that a proper examination of the evidence will not only affirm this theory but also profoundly “reshape” the modern identity and motivation of African Christians.