Christianity in Ethiopia dates to the 4th century, during the reign of the Aksumite emperor Ezana, who most likely adopted Christianity to solidify his trading relationships and unify his people.
Ezana was the first world leader to put the cross on coins, one of the earliest examples of Christian “material culture” in the world.
The theologian behind the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, thought very highly of the Church of Ethiopia.
He believed they were the predecessors of European Protestantism, because they practiced rituals that Protestants would later adopt - having both bread and wine at Communion, scriptures in everyday language, and married clergy.
Africa is the birthplace of humanity, so it is no surprise that Christianity has been practiced longer there than anywhere else!
But this truth disrupts the narrative that Christianity was solely the product of Western colonization. While that did happen, it’s not the whole story. Don’t believe their white supremacist lies! This is yet another example of our powerful place in the history of humanity.
How might a white view of Christianity affect the way you interact with this religion?