Ancient African Christianity

In «Ancient African Christianity», David Wilhite sets out on a quest to unravel the essence of African Christianity in the first millennium after the origin of Christianity. His aim, as the subtitle suggests, is to explore the distinctive features of African Christianity in this era. This question has been the focus of Wilhite's attention from his doctoral dissertation, which examined Tertullian's African identity, to his current work. He is motivated by the fact that ancient African Christians remain unnoticed in scholarly discourse.

Wilhite begins by defining African Christians of the period as inhabitants of the Roman province of Africa or Roman Africa, encompassing modern Tunisia and parts of Libya, Algeria, and Morocco. He eschews simplistic and racialized classifications of identity, emphasizing the complexity of African identity and highlighting the unique elements that define African Christianity. These include the Punic influence as manifested in martyrdom, understanding of divinity, and names; the critique of Romanitas or Romanness in the writings of Tertullian and Augustine; the rigorist Christian practice reflected in Tertullian, Cyprian, and the Donatists; and the ecclesiological influence of Cyprian of Carthage, particularly the autonomy of African churches.

While recognizing that some unique characteristics of ancient African Christianity may be beyond the scope of this context, Wilhite argues that a comprehensive understanding of its theology requires consideration of these distinctive features. Thoroughly researched, the book focuses on the major events and debates surrounding ancient Roman African Christianity, including the reassessment of the concepts of heresy and orthodoxy, Tertullian's doctrinal position, and the interaction between Christianity and Islam in the twilight of North Africa.

However, the book prompts certain critical reflections. It raises concerns about attributing an exclusive identity to ancient North African Christianity when similar characteristics are found in neighboring regions such as Egypt. Wilhite recognizes this problem but suggests, albeit without substantiation, that these features were of greater importance in Roman Africa compared to other modern regions.

In addition, the lack of maps makes the book difficult for newcomers to access, potentially limiting its usefulness to a specialized audience, despite claims of broader appeal. The ambiguous use of the word "African" in the title is also noteworthy. Although Wilhite defines his sphere of influence early on by linking it to Roman Africa, the modern understanding of Africa persists, creating dissonance. Thus, while Wilhite seeks to reclaim an African Christian identity, his image remains tied to Western Christianity, calling into question the book's relevance to the contemporary African context.

Nevertheless, scholars of ancient and modern African Christianity will benefit from this careful study.