Africans continue to contribute to church history!

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By Michael Austin

I hope you are finding the latest Christian History Magazine, Issue #105, Christianity in Early Africa, as interesting and edifying as I am.

There is so much packed into this issue, it is hard to know where to begin. I trust that in the coming weeks our readers will reference many items of interest, but, for now, I’d like to start with a look back at the early years.

While Africans are continuing to contribute to the historical development of the church right up to today, their influence on the character of the early church is explored in depth in this latest issue of CHM. Having a personal interest in how early Christians worshiped and gathered, I could not help but notice Michael Birkel’s article, ‘Become Completely as Fire’.

Here, Michael identifies many issues that have not only been intensely studied over the centuries, but are the subjects of many headlines, inside and outside the church today.

If you are like me, the companion book to our study, In Context, has become a bedstand favorite and a reminder of many historic figures who have embodied the words and teaching of Christ.  As I read Michael’s article, so many of the quotes in the book echoed through the lives and statements made by early church Africans, such as: Athanasius, Pachomius, Evagrius Ponticus and John Cassian.

Contemporaries of these men, who are written of in In Context, include: Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Augustine of Hippo and Jerome Heironymus. And, so many later personalities were impacted by these early writers and the issues they encountered.

I hope to hear your thoughts about the character traits listed by the monastic elder in Michael’s story, such as the hospitality of Abraham, the desire for contemplative silence of Elijah or the humility of David.  What Christian does not experience the conviction of these qualities? Is anger a challenge in your life; has vanity stood in the way of loving your neighbor?

These men were not strangers to the passion and limitations we experience in our daily lives. I am reminded of Jesus’ admonition to ‘be watchful’ in the ‘fire drills’ of Evagrius, which would help his readers be mindful of being caught off guard.

Together, let’s explore the intensity of the faith of these early believers and how they influenced those to follow.  Their words and deeds reach out to us today, as do those of contemporary Africans, as they seek to faithfully contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.