Faith Without Self-Erasure: How to Be a Christian and Still Loving Your African Culture

 YOU CAN BE A CHRISTIAN AND LOVE YOUR CULTURE: FAITH WITHOUT SELF-ERASURE

The Gospel  did not come to delete us. There is a wound many African Christians carry silently. It is the wound of being told that to love Jesus, you must first hate yourself. That to be saved, you must become a stranger in your father’s house. That to follow Christ, you must abandon your language, change your name, despise your elders, and treat every thread of your tradition as demonic.  

The result was a deep fracture in our communities. Society was split into two camps: the church people, and the village people. As if the Kingdom of God had no room for drums, proverbs, titles, or festivals. As if salvation required cultural suicide. But that was never the message of Jesus. The Gospel did not come to Africa to erase Africans. It came to redeem them. The Incarnation itself proves this: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” John 1:14. God did not ask humanity to become angels before He could save them. He entered our humanity, our language, our customs, and transformed them from within.  

The simple but liberating truth is this: You can be fully devoted to Christ and fully in love with your culture. The Christian calling is not automatic rejection of tradition, but Spirit-led discernment. We are to preserve what is good, reform what is broken, and reject only what stands against the Lordship of Jesus. Christianity is meant to transform a people, not to erase them. You do not have to choose between being a Christian and being culturally African.  

1. God Redeems Culture and Doesn't Destroy It 

From Genesis to Revelation, God’s pattern is not cultural erasure but cultural redemption. He meets people where they are and then lifts them higher. In the Old Testament, God called Israel out of Egypt but He did not make them culturally Egyptian or Mesopotamian. He gave them their own calendar, festivals, music, priestly garments, architecture, and law that fit their context. The Passover, the Feast of Trumpets, the Tabernacle, the Psalms — all were cultural forms sanctified for worship. “These are the Lord’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times” Leviticus 23:4. God was not embarrassed by culture. He used it as a vehicle for covenant.

In the New Testament, the same pattern continues at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit did not force 15 nations to speak one language. _“We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”_ Acts 2:11. The miracle was not the erasing of languages but the redeeming of them for Gospel proclamation. From day one, Christianity was a multilingual, multicultural faith.

The early church council in Acts 15 settled this once and for all. The question was: “Must Gentiles become Jews to be Christians?” The apostles answered no. They refused to impose circumcision, dietary laws, and Jewish customs as requirements for salvation. Bible commentator Matthew Henry writes on Acts 15: _“The imposition of unnecessary ceremonies upon Christians is a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear.”_ If the apostles refused to force Jewish culture on Gentiles, we have no right to force Western culture on Africans today.

Theologian Lamin Sanneh calls Christianity a “translatable religion.” Unlike empires that demand assimilation, the Gospel translates. It enters a people, learns their tongue, and speaks Christ in it. To reject our culture in the name of the Gospel is to reject the very method God chose to reach the world.

2. Dismantling the False Dichotomy of Christians Vs Traditionalists

The division between Christian and Traditionalist in Africa was largely a product of 19th and early 20th century missionary strategy. Many missionaries, with good intentions, equated Christianity with European civilization. To be Christian meant to wear suits, speak English, abandon indigenous names, and reject all communal rites.  

Thus, villages were taught that their ancestors were cursed, their names were pagan, their music was worldly, and their kings were agents of darkness. This created a painful double consciousness. People were told to love Jesus but hate their father’s house.

This dichotomy is anti-Gospel. Paul explicitly rejects it: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3:28. Notice Paul did not say “so that everyone must become Roman.” Unity in Christ does not demand uniformity in culture. The early church had Jewish Christians who kept Sabbath and Gentile Christians who did not, and both were fully Christian Romans 14:5-6.

Jesus Himself modeled cultural fidelity. He was circumcised on the 8th day Luke 2:21, He attended Jewish weddings John 2:1, He kept Passover Luke 22:15, and He quoted Hebrew proverbs. He was thoroughly Jewish and thoroughly God. He did not ask people to stop being Jewish to follow Him. He asked them to stop being sinful.

African church historian Ogbu Kalu notes that this “missionary dualism” caused many Africans to associate Christianity with foreignness. The result was that the Gospel looked like an import, not Good News for Africans. We must abandon that strategy. It wounded the church and slowed the mission.

3. Christian Leadership in Traditional Office and the Throne

One of the most contested areas is this: Can a Christian hold traditional office? Can one be an Ofo holder, an Ozo title holder, or a traditional ruler? The Bible makes a clear distinction between civic office and idol worship. Joseph was prime minister in a pagan Egypt, yet he did not bow to Egyptian gods Genesis 41:39-44. Daniel served in Babylon and Persia and rose to the highest cabinet position, yet he prayed to God three times a day Daniel 6:10. Esther was queen in a pagan palace, yet she fasted and interceded for her people Esther 4:16. God placed His people inside systems to be light.

The same applies in Africa. The core of many traditional offices is not idolatry. The core is leadership, mediation, preservation of customs, and care for the community. “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established” Romans 13:1.  

Discernment is required. Three questions must be asked:  

First, does this rite require sin? If a title demands human sacrifice, swearing by idols, or occult oaths, a Christian cannot participate Exodus 20:3-5.  

Second, can the form be redeemed? If the rite is about community blessing, conflict resolution, or thanksgiving, it can be done with prayer to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  

Third, does it build love and justice? Micah 6:8 says “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Today in Igboland, many Christian Eze perform their duties without libation to deities. They open community meetings with Scripture, pray in Jesus’ name, and use the Ofo as a symbol of truth and justice, not of idol power. That is not compromise. That is transformation. Nigerian scholar Byang Kato warned against syncretism, but he also warned against cultural self-hatred. He called for “biblical fidelity with cultural relevance.”

4. Participating in Traditional Rites: Preserve, Reform, or Reject

Not every tradition is godly. Not every tradition is evil. The Christian mandate is discernment, not blanket condemnation. “Test all things; hold fast what is good” 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

What we must preserve:  Language, greetings, proverbs, respect for elders, communalism, and art. The Bible honors these. “Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly” Leviticus 19:32. In African homes, greeting elders, kneeling, and proverbs are not pagan. They are wisdom. Colossians 3:16 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.” Our proverbs can carry that wisdom.

What we must reform: Some practices have a good heart but need Christ at the center. Take the New Yam Festival _Iri Ji_ in Igboland. The heart is thanksgiving for harvest. The Bible commands the same: “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field” Exodus 23:16. Many Christian communities today now dedicate the first yam to God in prayer and thanksgiving, instead of to a deity. The form remains, the focus shifts to Christ.

What we must reject: Anything that demands allegiance contrary to Christ. _“Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”_ Exodus 34:14. Practices involving human sacrifice, fetish oaths, or oppression must be abandoned 2 Corinthians 6:17. The goal is not cultural purity but Christ-centered purity.

In Ghana, many Christian chiefs still lead the Homowo festival. But instead of pouring libation to ancestors, they open with prayer and preaching. The community identity is maintained, the idolatrous element is removed. That is what it means to be salt and light Matthew 5:13-14.

5. African Languages, Names, Music, Dresses, and Arts as Acts of Worship

God is not colorblind and He is not culture-blind. He delights in the diversity of His creation. “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne” Revelation 7:9. Heaven will be multicultural.

Language: God wants to be praised in Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, Hausa, Igala, and Kalabari. The Bible has been translated into over 600 Nigerian languages because “every tongue will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord” Philippians 2:11. To despise your mother tongue is to despise a gift God gave you at birth.

Names: Hebrew names in the Bible carried meaning and prophecy: Nathaniel — “Gift of God,” Elizabeth — “God is my oath.” African names do the same: Chukwuebuka — “God is greater,” Ayotunde — “Joy has returned,” Olúwatóbí — “The Lord is worthy to be worshipped.” These are not pagan. These are sermons. To abandon them is to abandon testimony.

Music and dance: David danced before the Lord with all his might 2 Samuel 6:14. Psalm 150 commands praise with drum, lyre, and dancing. The ekwe, ogene, talking drum, and gangan are not demonic. They are instruments. It is the heart behind them that matters Romans 12:1.

Dress and Art: Exodus 28 shows God gave detailed instructions for priestly clothing. Beauty matters to God. Aso Oke, Akwete, Adire, beads, and wrappers can reflect dignity and identity. When worn to the glory of God, they become an offering.

6. African Communal Values and the Kingdom of God

African culture is deeply communal. The philosophy of Ubuntu in Southern Africa and Ibe onye agbala oso in Igboland — “a person is a person through other people” — echoes the New Testament church.  

The early church was communal: “All the believers were together and had everything in common” Acts 2:44. Paul commands _“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”_ Galatians 6:2. African respect for elders mirrors “Honor your father and mother” Ephesians 6:2. African hospitality mirrors Hebrews 13:2 _“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers.”

This is why the Gospel has spread so rapidly in Africa. It did not have to fight our communal instinct. It fulfilled it. The problem was not that Africa was too communal. The problem was that some missionaries presented a very individualistic version of Christianity. We must return to a Gospel that strengthens families, clans, and communities for Christ.

7. Avoiding Syncretism While Honoring Culture

Loving culture must not lead to syncretism — the mixing of Christ with idols. The Bible is clear: “What fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14. Israel was warned not to adopt Canaanite worship practices Deuteronomy 12:30-31.  

So how do we walk the line? Through three biblical tests:  

1.  The lordship test: Does this practice confess that Jesus is Lord? Philippians 2:11  

2.  The scripture test: Does it contradict the clear teaching of Scripture? Acts 17:11  

3.  The love test: Does it build up the body and reflect the character of Christ? 1 Corinthians 8:1  

Church father Justin Martyr said, “Whatever things were rightly said among all men are the property of us Christians.” Truth belongs to God wherever it is found. But lies, idolatry, and injustice must be confronted with the truth of the Gospel.

African theologian John Mbiti observed, “Africans are notoriously religious.” The Gospel does not need to make Africans religious. It needs to redirect that religious impulse to Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

The abandoned house in the opening picture does not have to be our story as a people. We do not have to burn down the house of our culture to enter the house of God. We bring the house to Jesus for renovation.

You can be a Christian and still be proud of your language. You can be a Christian and still bear your grandfather’s name. You can be a Christian and still dance at a wedding in Ankara. You can be a Christian and still serve as Ofo holder, as elder, as king — as long as Christ is Lord over that office.

The mission of the church is not to make Africans into Europeans. The mission is to make disciples of all nations Matthew 28:19 — Africans for Christ, Yorubas for Christ, Ijaws for Christ, Ibos for Christ.  

Christianity should transform a people, not erase them. When the next generation looks back, may they not see a people who hated themselves to follow Jesus. May they see a people who loved Jesus so much that they redeemed their music, their names, their festivals, and their communities for His glory.

“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’” Revelation 5:13. Every culture, one voice, one Lord.

References

1.  The Holy Bible, NIV and KJV

2.  Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible. 1706. Notes on Acts 15 and Romans 14.

3.  Sanneh, Lamin. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. Orbis Books, 1989.

4.  Kato, Byang H. Theological Pitfalls in Africa. Evangel Publishing House, 1975.

5.  Mbiti, John S. African Religions and Philosophy. Heinemann, 1969.

6.  Kalu, Ogbu U. The History of Christianity in West Africa. Longman, 1980.

7.  Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis Books, 1991.