The Writings and Legacy of Ogbu Kalu

Adequate educative literature that gives insight into the evolutionary process of Christianity in Africa has been lacking, and the fact that scholars often provide homogenized views of the religion makes it inherently difficult to understand the procedural process of the spread of the religion there. Ogbu Kalu is an inspiration in the discourse of Christianity as a religious identity that continues to spread and take a variegated dimension in the African continent. To that extent, his body of works has offered a different and crucial direction to understanding Christianity and its gradual evolution in Africa. This work examines this scholar’s brave contribution to understanding Christianity, its evolutionary peculiarities, and how it interfaces and interacts with African indigenous religious systems. From giving elucidatory and revelatory insights into Protestant Christianity to giving an incredible evaluation of Pentecostalism, Kalu has made himself an indispensable voice in the discourse of Christianity in Africa. Among other things, he has intoned that the Pentecostal character of African Christianity is inspired by indigenous spirituality, thus collapsing the gap between the indigenous spirituality and the one brought by crusaders of Christianity. In the long run, his works have consented to the argument that Africans tend to reorganize the Christian religion, drawing inspiration from their indigenous spirituality. This work, therefore, provides a very insightful examination of his scholarly contributions to highlight major arguments he raises on Christianity.