African Christianity in Botswana. The Case of African Independent Churches

A historical examination of African Christianity in Botswana, as now expressed in the African Independent Church. The study charts the development of this popular movement as a form of Christianity based on a mingling of African experiences of human existence, and teachings of the universal church. It describes how the African Independent Church developed alongside the Tswana Church and the Batswana people; as a rejection of the white missionaries' attack on Tswana culture and paternalism; and under the influence of the independent church movement in South Africa during apartheid. The author maintains, this resulted in a Church that is compatible with, acceptable and relevant to the indigenous culture; and which is simultaneously a genuinely African version of Christianity.