Due to the recent demographic shift from the West to Africa, the academic concern on African Christianity increase among the scholars of religious studies. This paper examines the characteristics and limitations in African and European scholar’s understandings of African cultures and religions, which show interchange of different religious traditions under colonialism and military oppression in the 20th century. Christianity has dominated the sub-Sahara African continent. Inter-religious encounters, conflicts, mutual transformations led African scholars to re-examine African Christianity and its changes. The major findings of the study are as follows:
First, there has been the dominant trend to emphasize the universality of African Christianity and the continuity between African traditional religions (ATR) and Christianity. Bolaji Idowu and John Mbiti argued that African traditional religions are the preparatory stage for Christian mission. Against this universal emphasis, however, Byang Kato claimed the discontinuity between ATR and biblical Christianity. He focused on the negative dimensions of ATR, which biblical Christianity should change.
Second, Kwame Bediako maintained that the study of ATR was necessary for scholars to understand African Christianity, emphasizing the translatability of the Bible into the African languages. According to him, African Christians should create a new religious identity from the knowledge of ATR and Christianity.
Third, Lamin Sanneh insists that the translation of the Bible gives Africans the power to criticize the Western missionaries and Western Christianity. In the process of the translation, cultural interchange and political exchange have been strengthened. Africans set up the standard to judge Western values from African points of view.
Finally, James Cox proposed a phenomenological approach to study African Christianity instead of theological and historical approaches. He debunks the myth of ATR which previous scholars created on the basis of their interpretations. Rather, he emphasizes the contents and contexts of ATR case by case.
In conclusion, the present study argues the necessity of the demythologization of African Christianity and Christian mission in Africa by summarizing the life and thought of David Livingstone. His definition of mission was different from his contemporaries in that he supported the human rights of the Africans and he respected African cultures.