A critique on christian missionaries in Africa and their role in the education of the African elite
Keywords:
africa, christian missionaries, churches, education, organizationsAbstract
Almost all of Africa was at one time under the subjugation of colonial masters from different European
nations who claimed them as extensions of their global kingdoms. The colonialists arrived with
intentions to exploit the natural resources of the virgin continent and were accompanied by Christian
missionaries whose intention was to propagate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the peoples of the “dark
continent”. The missionaries pioneered educational institutions that served as perfect vehicles not only
to proclaim the Word of God but also in educating the indigenous Africans in European ways and
culture. The missionaries built hospitals, schools, and technical training centres which contributed to
the advancement of the nations both intellectually and spiritually. The end result was a unique African
expression of the church-sponsored educational institution involved in the training of their faithful who
would impact the societies they were founded in. The focus of this paper will be a critique in the missionary expansion in Africa during the modern era from the 1800s moving forward. It is impossible
to summarise in a short paper a proper perspective of just how the missionaries transformed African
education, but it is important to appreciate the good rather than the harm that came from the education that they provided as a new generation of scholars emerged in Africa.
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