Positive and Negative Impact of Islam and Christianity in Africa.

According to the Lexico (n.d), "religion" is believing in and worshiping a

superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods. Most people identify

themselves with their religious beliefs or denomination. Today, Christianity and Islam

are the two predominant religions in the continent of Africa and the world (Menn &

Africa, 2020). Christianity, like Islam, was brought to Africa in the middle of the first and

seventh centuries, respectively. Since their introduction to the continent of Africa,

Christianity, and Islam have not only positively impacted the lives of Africans but also

negatively.

Africa benefited from the expansion of Islam and Christianity in several areas,

including economy, education, and infrastructure. With the introduction of these

religions, settlements and then cities were built, and the advancement of education and

economic were realized. Christianity and Islam helped develop cities and infrastructure

in Africa, especially in North Africa. Christianity came to North Africa through Saint Mark

in the middle of the first Century. Menn and colleagues report that Saint Mark Founded

a Christian community in Alexandria, an Egyptian city (2020). As Muslim conquerors

sprayed across the Maghreb and Egyptian land, they would establish settlements and

cities overseen by a caliph (Menn et al., 2020). Christian Missionaries and Islamic

leaders were intellectual and came with impressive knowledge and taught the people

who were converted to their religions. For example, historians report that the School of

Alexandra was a theological research center, and its bishop was highly estimated to be

at the level of the Roman pope (Openstax, 2023). In the same order of ideas, the
introduction of Islam helped elevate Africans' education level. This can be explained by

the introduction of Scholars, Architects, and Books by Mansa Musa in Mali, a region in

West Africa. Mosques, schools, and universities were built to depict the international

status of Timbuktu (Hill et al., 2009).

Christianity and Islam have also negatively impacted the lives of Africans. The

expansion of Islam and Christianity caused a loss of culture and religion. One negative

impact of Islam in Africa is the use of force to convert people to Islam. We read that

Arabs launched a series of three military conquests in their invasion of North Africa.

Although Muslims would allow local traditions and rituals to continue, Harsh Islamic

practices would be introduced (Hill et al., 2009). For example, Shariah law and other

Quran laws were enforced during the third phase of Islamic expansion. On its part,

Christianity completely opposed mixing other practices with traditions and wanted

reverence for one God. Many Christian converts went through persecution, flying their

security net to settle somewhere else, most often in harsh conditions. For instance, it is

recorded that many African Christians fled from the Nile to the western desert to find

refuge (Openstax, 2023). With those changes, many Africans lost part of their culture

after conversion. In the same way, conversion to Christianity called for loyalty to God.

Many Africans gave up their religions to be Christians. Today, The Movement of Jihad is

a problem for several African nations and groups of People. Islamic introduced Jihad in

the 19th Century to solidify the Islamic advancement in West Africa.

Christianity and Islam, two principal religions in Africa, have some common

aspects in the fact that they positively and negatively impact the lives of Africans.
Throughout history, it is seen how these religions were introduced, and the changes

they brought to the life of Africans could not be ignored. Today, everyone will agree that

these religions have changed in terms of the way they are being practiced and the

extreme forms they have taken over the centuries.

Reference

Lexico. (n.d.). Religion. In Lexico.com. Retrieved January 22, 2024, from

https://www.lexico.com/definition/religion.
Margari Hill, Stanford University (2009). “The Spread of Islam in West Africa:

Containment, Mixing, and Reform from the Eighth to the Twentieth Century”

Menn, J., & Africa, E. C. L. E. (2020). Christianity and Islam: The Essentials.

Openstax College. (2023). World History. https://openstax.org/books/world-history-

volume-1/pages/15-1-culture-and-society-in-medieval-africa.