Making African Christianity

Robert J. Houle examines the history of faith among colonial Zulu Christians (known as amaKholwa,) in what would become South Africa, arguing that Africans successfully naturalized Christianity. Houle believes that before the religion could take hold, several aspects of Christianity needed to be "translated" to fill critical gaps between existing African beliefs and Christian tradition. This dual identity was difficult to reconcile through much of Zulu Christian history, but ultimately transformed both the Zulu Christians and their adopted faith.