Christianity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia
Christianity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
is the majority religion, followed by about 96% of the population. Denominations include Protestant (including Kimbanguism
) 39%, Roman Catholic 50, Orthodox
0.1%, and other Christian
7%.
. Christianity's presence predates the Scramble for Africa
, having first arrived in the Kingdom of Kongo
in 1491, brought by Portuguese
explorers. Nzinga Mbemba Affonso, a provincial chief who became a convert to Christianity, became Manikongo in 1506 and reigned as Alfonso I
, and embarked on a modernization campaign that involved converting the population to Christianity.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
is the majority religion, followed by about 96% of the population. Denominations include Protestant (including Kimbanguism
Kimbanguism
Kimbanguism is a branch of Christianity founded by Simon Kimbangu in what was then the Belgian Congo . The church's name is the Kimbanguist Church , and is a large, independent African Initiated...
) 39%, Roman Catholic 50, Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
0.1%, and other Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
7%.
History
Christianity in the Democratic Republic of Congo has a unique history to the rest of Sub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
. Christianity's presence predates the Scramble for Africa
Scramble for Africa
The Scramble for Africa, also known as the Race for Africa or Partition of Africa was a process of invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers during the New Imperialism period, between 1881 and World War I in 1914...
, having first arrived in the Kingdom of Kongo
Kingdom of Kongo
The Kingdom of Kongo was an African kingdom located in west central Africa in what are now northern Angola, Cabinda, the Republic of the Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
in 1491, brought by Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
explorers. Nzinga Mbemba Affonso, a provincial chief who became a convert to Christianity, became Manikongo in 1506 and reigned as Alfonso I
Afonso I of Kongo
Mvemba a Nzinga or Nzinga Mbemba , also known as King Afonso I, was a ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo in the first half of the 16th century. He reigned over the Kongo Empire from 1509 to late 1542 or 1543.-Pre-reign career:...
, and embarked on a modernization campaign that involved converting the population to Christianity.
See also
- Religion in the Democratic Republic of the CongoReligion in the Democratic Republic of the CongoChristianity is the majority religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by about 96% of the population. Denominations include Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 39%, other Christian 7%, Muslim 1.5%, Animism 0.7%, and other 2.2%. Kimbanguism was seen as a threat to the colonial regime...
- Church of Christ in Congo
- Roman Catholicism in the Democratic Republic of the CongoRoman Catholicism in the Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Roman Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....