African Religion and Culture

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My love of African culture began when I went to Nigeria to teach in 1980. There I learned to speak the Hausa language, to eat African food and wear African clothes. During my five years of living in Nigeria, Africa got "into my blood." To continue my interest in African studies I went to the McGill University Faculty of Religious Studies, where I completed a Ph.D. in 1993, with dissertation on the topic African Theology and Social Change, under the supervision of Dr. Gregory Baum. Research trips to Kenya in 1992 and 1996 have also been very rewarding. My love for African culture continues. I hope you find my articles and links helpful.

- Ian Ritchie, Ph.D. You can reach me by going to my CONTACT PAGE

Papers from the Conference African Christianity: Past, Present and Future held at Wycliffe College, Toronto, March 1998.
African Theology and Social Change: an Anthropological approach. Ian Ritchie's doctoral dissertation on the relationship between changing social conditions in Africa and the development of contextual theologies there. Available here is the Table of Contents, Introduction, Chapter 1: The Development of African Theology, Chapter 2: Social Context of African Theology, Chapter 3: Creation In African Thought", Chapter 4: Health, Disease and Wholeness, Chapter 5: The Shifting Sensorium and African Orality, Chapter 6: Christological Developments, Chapter 7: Pluralism and Interfaith Dialogue, Chapter 8: African Family In Transition, and Bibliography "A-N" and Bibliography "N-Z". The dissertation contains the most comprehensive bibliography of works in both English and French on African Theology. For a printed version of the complete manuscript, contact Ian Ritchie through the CONTACT PAGE. Ian can send you a printed copy if you send him an International Postal Money Order for $20. Canadian funds, plus shipping and handling charges. (Note that $20. Canadian dollars is usually about $13. U.S. dollars.) Ian Ritchie's current address is found on the CONTACT PAGE.
An updated version of Chapter 8 is now available, with new research on the changing Status of Women in Africa, with special reference to the recent rapid growth of the acceptance of the ordination of women in the Anglican communion in Africa. Go to: http://www3.sympatico.ca/ian.ritchie/AFRWOMEN.html
An article on the current crisis in Sudan concerning the question of slavery and how best to eliminate it is entitled: "Redemption fails to tackle roots of Sudan slavery problem."

For Links to other Websites on Africa and African Religion,

go to my Links About Africa Page.

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This page was last updated on September 27, 2004