The Christian Faith and Colonial Instrumentalisation in Africa: A Biblical-Theological Examination of Colonial Misuse, Historical Legacy, and Contemporary Perceptions

This study examines the relationship between Christianity and Western European colonialism in Africa, focusing particularly on the historical use of Christian beliefs, biblical interpretations, missionary structures, and religious institutions in colonial contexts. It addresses a contemporary problem arising from this history: the tendency to equate Christianity’s essential theological identity with the actions of particular Christian individuals, institutions, or colonial powers. The study seeks to distinguish Christianity’s normative biblical identity from its diverse and sometimes compromised historical expressions, while also examining how the memory of colonialism shapes contemporary perceptions of Christianity and the Christian God. Methodologically, the study employs a qualitative, literature-based approach that integrates historical-grammatical biblical exegesis, biblical-theological synthesis, historical analysis, conceptual analysis, comparative literature review, and reception-oriented discourse analysis. The findings indicate that Scripture defines Christianity fundamentally in relation to Christ and provides clear grounds for condemning hypocrisy, exploitation, partiality, false teaching, and the abuse of religious authority. Historical evidence also demonstrates various forms of entanglement between missionary activity and colonialism, including the appropriation of biblical interpretations to support racial and cultural ideologies. At the same time, African Christians exercised significant agency through resistance, appropriation, adaptation, and theological creativity. The study concludes that the misuse of Christianity during colonialism must be honestly acknowledged without allowing such misuse to define Christianity’s normative identity or determine the character of the biblical God. It recommends historically informed theological education, ecclesial accountability, contextual theological reflection, and ethically credible Christian witness.