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Christianity in Angola

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percentage. The sole Protestant group active among the Mbundu was the Methodist Mission, largely sponsored by the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States. Portuguese data for 1960 indicated that only 8 percent of the Mbundu considered themselves Protestants, but Protestant missions had considerable success among the
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The involvement of the Protestant churches in the languages of their mission areas, their medical and other welfare activity, and their ability to adapt to local structures or (in the case of the Methodists among the Mbundu) to be fortuitously consistent with them gave Protestants much more influence
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In addition to the Protestant churches directly generated by the missions and continuing in a more or less orthodox pattern, there were other groups, which stemmed at least in part from the Protestant experience but expressed a peculiarly local tendency and which were dominated entirely by Africans.
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In the late 1980s, statistics on Christian preferences among ethnic groups were unavailable, but proportions calculated from the 1960 census probably had not changed significantly. According to the 1960 census, about 21 percent of the Ovimbundu were Protestants, but later estimates suggest a smaller
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was declared the exclusive responsibility of missionary personnel. All church activities, education included, were to be subsidized by the state. In reality, Protestant missions were permitted to engage in educational activity, but without subsidy and on condition that Portuguese be the language of
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Estimates of the number of Roman Catholics in Angola varied. One source claimed that about 55 percent of the population in 1985 was Roman Catholic; another put the proportion in 1987 at 68 percent. Most Roman Catholics lived in western Angola, not only because that part of the country was the most
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was linked to the structure of these communities. This connection was brought about in part by the tendency of entire communities to turn to the variety of Protestantism offered locally. The conversion of isolated individuals was rare. Those individuals who did not become Christians remained to a
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than their numbers would suggest. For example, the leaders of the three major nationalist movements in the 1970s - the MPLA, UNITA, and the FNLA - had been raised as Protestants, and many others in these movements were also Protestants, even if their commitment may have diminished over time.
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characteristic of indigenous religious systems. Sometimes the Christian sphere of the life of a community was institutionally separate from the indigenous sphere. In other cases, the local meaning and practice of Christianity were modified by indigenous patterns of belief and practice.
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and on condition that they be integrated with the Portuguese missionary organization. Foreign Roman Catholic missionaries were required to renounce the laws of their own country, submit to Portuguese law, and furnish proof of their ability to speak and write the
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The proportion of Protestants in the Angolan population was estimated at 10 percent to 20 percent in the late 1980s. The majority of them presumably were Africans, although some mestiços may have been affiliated with one or another Protestant church.
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greater or lesser extent adherents of the indigenous system; unless they migrated to one of the larger towns, persons of a specific locality did not have the option of another kind of Christianity.
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in 1926, the authorities kept an eye on the Protestant missions but were not particularly hostile to them. Settlers and local administrators often were hostile, however, because Protestant
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According to the 2014 census, Roman Catholicism was practiced by 41.1% of the population. A total of 38.1% were Protestants, while 20.9% practiced indigenous beliefs, other religions, or
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as interpreted by the specific denomination sometimes became attached to the high god of the indigenous religious system and typically made that deity more prominent than previously.
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Protestant missionaries worked at learning the local languages, in part to communicate better with those in their mission field, but above all in order to translate the
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The important Protestant missions in place in the 1960s (or their predecessors) had arrived in Angola in the late 19th century and therefore had been at work before the
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affected church organization; on the other hand, the presence of Christians in the community affected the local culture to varying degrees. Christians who could quote
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densely populated but also because Portuguese penetration into the far interior was comparatively recent and Roman Catholic missionaries tended to follow the flag.
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The number of Angolans identifying with such African churches is not known, but it is reasonable to assume that many Angolans were attached to them.
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fashion but in ways that involved contact with Africans in a more sustained fashion than was characteristic of Roman Catholic missionaries and local
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tended to be protective of what they considered their charges. In those early years and later, Protestant missionaries were not only
830: 629: 377:, the Evangelical Church of Angola, the Evangelical Church of South-West Angola, the Our Lord Jesus Christ Church in the World ( 1015: 930: 802: 648: 382: 853: 370: 812: 1113: 1427: 701: 346: 155: 1405: 673: 614: 462: 457:, edited by Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, 59-62. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999. 1153: 807: 1263: 1253: 1058: 889: 848: 386: 366: 345:
Religious affiliation in Angola was difficult to define because many who claimed membership in a specific
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in the local tongue contributed phrases to it that others picked up, and the attributes of the Christian
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to know a local language. Roman Catholic missionaries did not similarly emphasize the translation of the
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was very influential there. There was a substantial proportion of Roman Catholics among the
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into African tongues. Protestant missionaries were much more likely than administrators and
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beliefs. Groups that are not Christian include the Mumuila, Mbwela (Nganguela), Mungambwe,
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The government recognized eleven Protestant denominations: the Assembly of God, the
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provided that foreign missionaries could be admitted only with the approval of the
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has existed since 1491. Today 80% of Angolans practise some form of Christianity.
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Those members of a community who had not yet become Christians were tied by
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Resultados definitivos, recenseamento geral da população e habitação – 2014
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to those individuals who had. On the one hand, indigenous patterns of
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are one of the most heavily Christian groups, with only 1.5% holding
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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Warner, Rachel (1989). "Christianity". In Collelo, Thomas (ed.).
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Missionary activity was placed under the authority of Portuguese
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and, with some exceptions, did not make a point of learning a
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The most heavily Roman Catholic area before independence was
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Although Roman Catholic missions were largely staffed by non-
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Angola
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Angola
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Less heavily Catholic were the 913:Evangelical Pentecostal Mission of Angola 831:Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola 254: 138: 26: 980:Council of Christian Churches in Angola 1420: 931:Universal Church of the Kingdom of God 570: 997: 697: 566: 564: 562: 560: 558: 556: 554: 552: 550: 548: 546: 544: 542: 540: 538: 536: 534: 532: 530: 528: 526: 524: 522: 520: 518: 516: 514: 512: 510: 508: 506: 504: 502: 500: 498: 383:Evangelical Reformed Church in Angola 496: 494: 492: 490: 488: 486: 484: 482: 480: 478: 404: 371:Baptist Evangelical Church in Angola 178:, and counselors - all perhaps in a 813:United Evangelical Church in Angola 13: 447: 14: 1439: 798:Evangelical Congregational Church 475: 418:has more than 1,000 members in 5 1324:Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic 1094:Democratic Republic of the Congo 594: 455:The Encyclopedia of Christianity 274:, where most of the people were 216:were associated with particular 453:Kürschner, Frank. "Angola." In 349:also shared perceptions of the 309: 975:Evangelical Alliance of Angola 666: 641: 621: 220:communities, the structure of 1: 808:Presbyterian Church of Angola 680:, LDS Church, January 1, 2012 649:"SIM Country Profile: Angola" 468: 890:Seventh-day Adventist Church 849:Baptist Convention of Angola 387:Seventh-day Adventist Church 367:Baptist Convention of Angola 326:In contemporary Angola, the 212:Because specific Protestant 7: 803:Evangelical Reformed Church 437:Roman Catholicism in Angola 425: 10: 1444: 854:Baptist Evangelical Church 613:: CS1 maint: postscript ( 408: 22: 1337: 1312: 1031: 965: 943: 921: 898: 880: 862: 839: 821: 788: 771: 753: 744: 735: 579:Federal Research Division 143:Old Portuguese church in 1079:Central African Republic 676:, Facts and Statistics, 322:Christian identification 298:-populated provinces of 1025:Christianity in Africa 872:United Methodist Church 574:Angola: a country study 442:Protestantism in Angola 31:The Cathedral of Luanda 1428:Christianity in Angola 347:Christian denomination 263: 222:religious organization 147: 32: 17:Christianity in Angola 1239:São Tomé and Príncipe 1099:Republic of the Congo 763:Roman Catholic Church 258: 142: 113:Portuguese government 30: 746:Western Christianity 577:. Washington, D.C.: 1314:States with limited 966:Interdenominational 583:Library of Congress 259:Catholic Church in 122:Portuguese language 69:In 1878, the first 585:. pp. 94–97. 432:Religion in Angola 355:supernatural order 264: 148: 33: 1415: 1414: 1341:other territories 1114:Equatorial Guinea 988: 987: 961: 960: 939: 938: 908:Assemblies of God 609:cite encyclopedia 405:Latter-day Saints 1435: 1402: 1401:(United Kingdom) 1397:Tristan da Cunha 1393:Ascension Island 1385: 1372: 1363: 1339:Dependencies and 1032:Sovereign states 1018: 1011: 1004: 995: 994: 786: 785: 782: 751: 750: 718: 711: 704: 695: 694: 688: 687: 686: 685: 670: 664: 663: 661: 660: 651:. Archived from 645: 639: 638: 636: 625: 619: 618: 612: 604: 598: 597: 568: 272:Cabinda Province 238:social relations 54:of the powerful 1443: 1442: 1438: 1437: 1436: 1434: 1433: 1432: 1418: 1417: 1416: 1411: 1410: 1400: 1383: 1370: 1361: 1342: 1340: 1333: 1317: 1315: 1308: 1027: 1022: 991: 989: 984: 967: 957: 935: 923:Neo-charismatic 917: 894: 876: 858: 835: 817: 776: 775: 767: 740: 731: 722: 692: 691: 683: 681: 672: 671: 667: 658: 656: 647: 646: 642: 634: 626: 622: 606: 605: 595: 569: 476: 471: 450: 448:Further reading 428: 413: 407: 324: 312: 103:, the relevant 62:, and his son, 58:, converted to 25: 12: 11: 5: 1441: 1431: 1430: 1413: 1412: 1409: 1408: 1406:Western Sahara 1403: 1386: 1373: 1364: 1350:Canary Islands 1346: 1345: 1343: 1338: 1335: 1334: 1332: 1331: 1326: 1320: 1318: 1313: 1310: 1309: 1307: 1306: 1301: 1296: 1291: 1286: 1281: 1276: 1271: 1266: 1261: 1256: 1251: 1246: 1241: 1236: 1231: 1226: 1221: 1216: 1211: 1206: 1201: 1196: 1191: 1186: 1181: 1176: 1171: 1166: 1161: 1156: 1151: 1146: 1141: 1136: 1131: 1126: 1121: 1116: 1111: 1106: 1101: 1096: 1091: 1086: 1081: 1076: 1071: 1066: 1061: 1056: 1051: 1046: 1041: 1035: 1033: 1029: 1028: 1021: 1020: 1013: 1006: 998: 986: 985: 983: 982: 977: 971: 969: 963: 962: 959: 958: 956: 955: 949: 947: 945:Restorationism 941: 940: 937: 936: 934: 933: 927: 925: 919: 918: 916: 915: 910: 904: 902: 896: 895: 893: 892: 886: 884: 878: 877: 875: 874: 868: 866: 860: 859: 857: 856: 851: 845: 843: 837: 836: 834: 833: 827: 825: 819: 818: 816: 815: 810: 805: 800: 794: 792: 783: 769: 768: 766: 765: 759: 757: 748: 742: 741: 736: 733: 732: 721: 720: 713: 706: 698: 690: 689: 665: 640: 620: 473: 472: 470: 467: 466: 465: 449: 446: 445: 444: 439: 434: 427: 424: 409:Main article: 406: 403: 323: 320: 311: 308: 207:Bantu language 184:administrators 73:missionaries, 24: 21: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1440: 1429: 1426: 1425: 1423: 1407: 1404: 1398: 1394: 1390: 1387: 1381: 1377: 1374: 1368: 1365: 1359: 1355: 1351: 1348: 1347: 1344: 1336: 1330: 1327: 1325: 1322: 1321: 1319: 1311: 1305: 1302: 1300: 1297: 1295: 1292: 1290: 1287: 1285: 1282: 1280: 1277: 1275: 1272: 1270: 1267: 1265: 1262: 1260: 1257: 1255: 1252: 1250: 1247: 1245: 1242: 1240: 1237: 1235: 1232: 1230: 1227: 1225: 1222: 1220: 1217: 1215: 1212: 1210: 1207: 1205: 1202: 1200: 1197: 1195: 1192: 1190: 1187: 1185: 1182: 1180: 1177: 1175: 1172: 1170: 1167: 1165: 1162: 1160: 1157: 1155: 1154:Guinea-Bissau 1152: 1150: 1147: 1145: 1142: 1140: 1137: 1135: 1132: 1130: 1127: 1125: 1122: 1120: 1117: 1115: 1112: 1110: 1107: 1105: 1102: 1100: 1097: 1095: 1092: 1090: 1087: 1085: 1082: 1080: 1077: 1075: 1072: 1070: 1067: 1065: 1062: 1060: 1057: 1055: 1052: 1050: 1047: 1045: 1042: 1040: 1037: 1036: 1034: 1030: 1026: 1019: 1014: 1012: 1007: 1005: 1000: 999: 996: 992: 981: 978: 976: 973: 972: 970: 968:organizations 964: 954: 951: 950: 948: 946: 942: 932: 929: 928: 926: 924: 920: 914: 911: 909: 906: 905: 903: 901: 897: 891: 888: 887: 885: 883: 879: 873: 870: 869: 867: 865: 861: 855: 852: 850: 847: 846: 844: 842: 838: 832: 829: 828: 826: 824: 820: 814: 811: 809: 806: 804: 801: 799: 796: 795: 793: 791: 787: 784: 780: 774: 770: 764: 761: 760: 758: 756: 752: 749: 747: 743: 739: 734: 730: 726: 719: 714: 712: 707: 705: 700: 699: 696: 679: 675: 669: 655:on 2007-09-05 654: 650: 644: 633: 632: 624: 616: 610: 602: 601:public domain 592: 588: 584: 580: 576: 575: 567: 565: 563: 561: 559: 557: 555: 553: 551: 549: 547: 545: 543: 541: 539: 537: 535: 533: 531: 529: 527: 525: 523: 521: 519: 517: 515: 513: 511: 509: 507: 505: 503: 501: 499: 497: 495: 493: 491: 489: 487: 485: 483: 481: 479: 474: 464: 460: 456: 452: 451: 443: 440: 438: 435: 433: 430: 429: 423: 421: 420:congregations 417: 412: 402: 398: 396: 390: 388: 384: 380: 376: 372: 368: 363: 359: 356: 352: 348: 343: 342:and Nyaneka. 341: 337: 333: 329: 319: 317: 307: 305: 301: 297: 293: 289: 285: 281: 280:Protestantism 277: 273: 268: 262: 257: 253: 249: 247: 243: 239: 235: 231: 226: 223: 219: 215: 214:denominations 210: 208: 204: 200: 196: 195:New Testament 192: 191:Old Testament 187: 185: 181: 177: 173: 169: 165: 161: 157: 153: 146: 141: 137: 136:instruction. 134: 130: 125: 123: 118: 114: 110: 106: 102: 98: 93: 91: 87: 83: 80:, arrived in 79: 76: 72: 67: 65: 61: 57: 56:Kongo Kingdom 53: 49: 45: 41: 38: 29: 20: 18: 1389:Saint Helena 1360:   1264:South Africa 1254:Sierra Leone 1059:Burkina Faso 1043: 990: 779:Main article 738:Main article 737: 725:Christianity 682:, retrieved 677: 668: 657:. 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Index


Catholic
mission
São Salvador
João I
Manikongo
Kongo Kingdom
Christianity
Afonso I
Protestant
British
Baptists
Angola
Cabinda
Uige
Portuguese
colonial era
statutes
accords
Portuguese government
Vatican
Portuguese language
priests
Africans

Benguela
Portuguese
territory
Portugal
missionaries

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