A short answer is that Christianity is actually veiled in the Old Testament right from  Gen 3:15  a text known as the Protoevangelium  -the First Gospel .  

Jesus said salvation is of the Jews.  Jn 4:22  

 Special Revelation which is  by prophecy and the written Word  was given to the world through the Jews.    The Ancient prophets to whom  came Special or Divine Revelation which birthed out Christianity were  Jews. 

From then the message was transmitted to the world at large through messengers which could be of any race or color.

These intermediary transmitters of the received revelation are by definition not the authors of the message but only messengers.

But to those  especially of the Left who by reasons of  resentment against racism, imperialism  or colonialism , contend  that Christianity is a white man’s religion because it is the whites who brought it to The west or especially to America; I respond by this discourse and try to demonstrate that the doctrinal theology of Christianity, before the white explorers brought it to the west was developed from the Bible in Africa and by Africans.

This is not in any case an endorsement or condonation of racism, imperialism or colonialism. 

Quote:

“African intellectual history has no need to be defensive or self-effacing. We are learning that Africa taught Europe before Europe was prepared to teach Africa. Europe has slept for many centuries without being fully aware of its vital intellectual sources in Africa.”...... Thomas Oden—How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind

MANY PEOPLE HAVE REJECTED CHRISTIANITY AND ITS BIBLE ON THE CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT IT IS THE WHITE MAN’S RELIGION. THEY CLAIM THAT CHRISTIANITY AND THE BIBLE ARE THE INVENTIONS OF THE OVER PRIVILEGED AND POWERFUL EUROPEAN WHITE MAN AS A TOOL OR OPIUM TO CONTROL AND RULE OVER WEAKER NATIONS BY MEANS OF COLONIALISM, IMPERIALISM, SLAVERY AND DIVERSE MANIPULATIVE SYSTEMS.

THE TERM ‘WHITE MAN” IN THIS THEORY IS USED IN CONNOTATION OF EUROPEANS LIVING IN EUROPE AND AMERICA  WHOSE PREY IS THE REST OF THE WORLD.  IN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCH CLAIMANTS, THE LIFE THREATENING ADVENTURES OF EXPLORERS  VOYAGERS AND MISSIONARIES SUCH AS CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS WERE DRIVEN BY THE MOTIVATION OF ECONOMIC GREED THROUGH EXPLOITATION, AND SUBJUGATION. TO THEM THE BIBLE WITH ITS CHRISTIANITY IS THE MASTERMIND. 

CHRISTIANITY AS A RELIGION IS THE OPIUM TO NUMB HUMANITY INTO SUBMISSION AND IS TO BLAME FOR THE EVILS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION.

THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF THIS THEORY IS NIHILISTIC . THE WESTERN CIVILIZATION MUST BE AWAY WITH AND THE FEASIBILITY OF SUCH DEMANDS CALLS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA.

AT THE WRITING OF THIS MATERIAL WE ARE WITNESSING THE RISE OF PEACEFUL PROTESTS AND ANOTHER SO CALLED PEACEFUL PROTESTS OF A SORT. THE LATTER IS A BAIT AND SWITCH MISNOMER DESIGNED TO WIN THE UNWARY SYMPATHIZERS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CAUSE.

THE UNWARY AFRICAN AMERICAN IS HENCE USED AS A TOKEN 

AN EXAMPLE IS A SEEMINGLY TWIN ACTIVIST GROUPS, ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’ AND ANTIFA.

THESE ACTIVISTS GROUPS FINANCED BY COMMON SOURCES WITH COMMON AGENDA ARE TAKING DOWN STATUTES OF JESUS, BURNING DOWN CHRISTIAN CHURCHES AND CROSSES WITH THE CHARGE THAT THOSE ITEMS ARE INVENTIONS OF THE WHITE MAN. THEY ARE TEARING DOWN HEROES OF BLACK EMANCIPATION SUCH AS ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND ULYSSES GRANT.

THEIR AGENDA HAS NOTHING TO HELP THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CAUSE. BUT IS INFACT DESTRUCTIVE TO IT.  IT INCLUDES THE ELIMINATION OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND ITS BIBLICAL VALUES SUCH AS; THE NUCLEAR FAMILY, TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES, PATRIARCHY, TRADITIONAL SEXUAL ORIENTATION, CAPITALISM, AND MANY UNREALISTIC DEMANDS.

A CAREFUL EVALUATION OF THE PLATFORMS OF THESE ACTIVISTS REVEALS DANGEROUS SEMINAL PRESUPPOSITIONS AND REVISIONIST HISTORY.

IN THE CONTINUUM OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF THEIR PLATFORM FROM THE MODERATE TO THE MOST RADICAL,  ARE BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS SUCH AS THE FOLLOWING: 

(1)  ALL WHITE PEOPLE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE WHITE DEMOCRAT ARE RACIST.

(2) ANY ONE WITH CONSERVATIVE VALUES IS RACIST AND A WHITE SUPREMACIST.  EVEN A BLACK LADY SUCH AS CANDACE OWENS IS CALL A WHITE SUPREMACIST BY DEMOCRATS.   THE CONSERVATIVE HERE IMPLIES THE CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE, FISCAL AND POLITICAL CONSERVATIVES.

(3) THE WHITE  MAN IS WHITE PRIVILEGED AND MUST ABDICATE HIS PRIVILEGES BY ‘UN-WHITING HIMSELF ‘ 

(4) THE WHITE MAN USED THE BIBLE AND CHRISTIANITY TO ENSLAVE OTHERS ESPECIALLY THE BLACK MAN 

(5) WHITE STATUTES OF JESUS AND OTHER SAINTS  ARE RACIST ICONS AND MUST BE DESTROYED.

(6) CHRISTIANITY IS A RACIST RELIGION BECAUSE IT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE WHITE MAN .   IT THEREFORE JUSTIFIED TO BURN DOWN THE CHURCHES.

(7) THE WESTERN CIVILIZATION IS THE CANCER OF OUR  SOCIETY AND MUST BE DESTROYED.

THE FORGOING WORLDVIEW IS FAR FROM FACTS AND TRUTH. IT COMES FROM A SYSTEMATIC, AND DELIBERATE REVISIONISM OF HISTORY FOR INDOCTRINATION AIMED AT THE UNWARY COLLEGE STUDENTS BY POLITICAL IDEOLOGUES  

CHRISTIANITY WAS ESTABLISHED BY JESUS CHRIST.  THE WORD AS A SPECIAL REVELATION WAS GIVEN TO THE JEWS OR RIGHTLY SAY JERUSALEM, BUT ITS DOCTRINAL THEOLOGY, ECUMENICAL, AND ACADEMIC STRUCTURES, INTELLECTUAL, MONASTIC AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES WERE DEVELOPED IN AFRICA BEFORE SPREADING TO EUROPE, ASIA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.

THE CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY WAS DEVELOPED BY AFRICAN FATHERS. THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON WAS RECEIVED IN ITS ENTIRETY IN AFRICA.

THE FIRST TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW BIBLE INTO GREEK —THE SEPTUAGINT- (LXX) WAS DONE IN AFRICA.

SOME PROMINENT AFRICAN FATHERS 

(1).  ST MARK :   (Born  5:AD in Cyrene- Libya :   Died 68 AD in Alexandria-Egypt as a martyr by rope hanged to neck and dragged to death.  Author of The Gospel Of Mark - Founder Of the Church Of Alexandria, The Catechetical School Of Alexandria.   First Bishop of the church of Alexandria 

(2).  APOLLOS :  Born in Alexandria-Egypt Of Jewish descendants. Birthday unknown.    Eloquent and persuasive debater. Acts 18:24-28

(3).  Simon of Cyrene:   Born in Cyrene- Libya   Father Of Alexander and Rufus who all became missionaries. Mk 15:21 Simon helped Jesus carry the cross. Mk 15:21

(4) Pope Justus Of Alexandria (Died in 129 AD): Born in Egypt-Africa    Appointed by St Mark as the first Dean Of the Catechetical school of Alexandria.He was the 6th Pope and Patriach Of Alexandria.


(5) Augustine: (Latin language) 254 - 430 AD, Bishop of Hippo, Born in Thagaste- Algeria -Africa, Philosopher, Apologist, Theologian  His theology and philosophy influenced the development of the Western Christianity, Western philosophy, and Western Civilization :

Notable Books: City Of God, Confessions, On Christian Doctrine,

AUGUSTINIAN IDEAS THAT INFLUENCED CHRISTIANITY AND WESTERN CIVILIZATION: Original Sin, Free will, Just war, Beginning of Time, Trinity, The problem of Evil, Faith and Reason, Philosophy , Filioque , etc

(6) Athanasius : 298 - 373 AD Born in Alexandria -Egypt -Africa : Theologian , Apologists, Arch Bishop of Alexandria. Named Father Of orthodoxy, One of the 4 Doctors of the Church. Defended Trinitarianism , Deity of Christ against Arianism. The first to Identity the 27 books of the New Testament Canon that are still in use today. 

(7)  Tertullian : 155 AD -220 AD Born in Carthage - Tunisia , Africa referred as Father Of Latin Christianity, Founder Of Western Theology, Author, Theologian, Apologist, Polemist-Notable ideas: Hypostasis, Ousia, Sacrament, Traducianism , Consubstantiality, Persona .First to use the term Trinity , Fought against Gnosticism 

(8) Origen Of Alexandria: 184-253 AD , Born in Alexandria-Egypt-Africa, Philosopher, Theologian, Apologist,  Prolific writer - The First Principles , Textual criticism, Biblical exegesis and Biblical hermeneutics, Homiletics. Named the greatest genius of the early church , Inventor of the Polyglot Bible- Hexapla.  Founded the Christian School of Caesarea, where he taught Logic, Cosmology, Natural history, and Theology.


(9) Cyprian: ( Latin language ) 200 -258 AD. Born in Carthage- Tunisia -Africa. Martyr , Bishop of Carthage. Fought against Novatianism, Orator, Author, Encourager during the Plague Of Cyprian 249- 262 AD, that used to kill 5000 a day in Roman. The plague brought about shortage of manpower in Roman Empire 

(10) Marcus Minucius Felix. (Latin language ). (Circa 150-160 AD ) Born in Algeria-Africa: Apologist. Author of Octavious- Apology for the Christian God against Pagan gods.

(11)  Lactantius (Latin language ) (240 AD - 320 AD Apologist Author, Advisor to First Christian Roman Emperor — Constantine I guiding his religious policy as it developed, and a tutor to his son Crispus. - Wikipedia

He wrote for the intellectual elite, comparative religion apologetics- Christianity vs Pagan religions of the Empire. Philosophical Apologetics—. Christian Philosophy vs Hellenistic philosophers.  

Bk. — Divinae Institutiones ("Divine Institutes") was excellent in systematic presentation of Christian thought.- Wikipedia 

(12)  Optatus Of Milevi: Born in Mila- Algeria-Africa. Bishop of Mileve , Polemicist against Donatism 

(13) Pope Heraclas Of Alexandria (Gk language ) Born in Egypt. 13th Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, reigning 232-24. First Patriarch of Alexandria to be referred to as "Pope". Head of the Catechetical school of Alexandria after Origen.

(14) Pope Dionysius Of Alexandria. ( Gk language ) Born in Egypt- Africa 14th Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria from 28 December 248 until his death on 22 March 264. 

(15) Didymus the Blind Of Alexandria (Circa 310- 398 AD)

African. Student of Origen, Blind at the age of four. Prayed not for his physical sight but for illumination of his heart. Dean of the Theological school of Alexandria. Polemicist and Apologist, Taught other blind people how to read.c. 313 – 398) was a Christian theologian in the Church of Alexandria, where he taught for about half a century. 

Didymus studied with ardor, and his vigils were long and frequent, not for reading but for listening, that he might gain by hearing what others obtained by seeing. When the reader fell asleep for weariness, Didymus did not repose, but as it were chewed the cud (says Rufinus) of what he had heard, until he seemed to have inscribed it on the pages of his mind. Thus in a short time he amassed a vast knowledge of grammar, rhetoric, logic, music, arithmetic, and geometry, and a perfect familiarity with Holy Scripture. He was early placed at the head of the famous catechetical school of Alexandria, over which he presided for about half a century. St. Athanasius highly esteemed him. The orator Libanius wrote to an official in Egypt: "You cannot surely be ignorant of Didymus, unless you are ignorant of the great city wherein he has been night and day pouring out his learning for the good of others. He is similarly extolled by his contemporaries and by the historians of the following century, Rufinus was six years his pupil. Palladius visited him four times in ten years (probably 388-398). Jerome came to him for a month in order to have his doubts resolved with regard to difficult passages of Scripture-     - Catholic Encyclopedia.

PART TWO

WHAT EVIDENCE JUSTIFIES THE CLAIM THAT AFRICA WAS THE WELLSPRING OF CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS :

Why this topic and what relevance has it?

Afro-Centricism has even been misconstrued by many to represent anti-Christianity. To such minds being anti Christian is a criterion for authenticity. In revenge for slavery they will even write novels to promote such narratives.

They would bend over backwards to embrace Egyptological myths, Traditional African idol worship, and reverence of their artifacts or claim Islam as African.

I believe setting the historical record straight will help liberate many minds and warn the inquiring and adventurous young minds to stay away from such pitfalls.

DISAMBUGATION OF ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITY AND ORIGIN OF DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY AND SCHOLARSHIP.

These two concepts need not be confused.   So I find it important to distinguish between the two.     

ORIGIN AND EARLY BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIANITY:  

Some say Christianity branched from Judaism to imply that it strayed away from the biblical truth.

I stand with pastor Derek to disagree with such claim.

Christianity is veiled in the Old Testament and was hinted in the early stages of Genesis; Gen 3:15

It was the Omniscient God’s plan from the beginning: 1Pe 1:18-21

If any one strayed, it is Judaism. It is Judaism that stumbled. Isaiah 8:13-15

Isaiah 8:13-15 (KJV)

13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread. 14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

1 Peter 1:18-21 (KJV) 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

The seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15 refers to Jesus the Messiah - the Christ.

The followers of Christ are called the Christians, hence Christianity. 

From Genesis to Matthew is the outworks of THE LORD unfolding His plan in preparation of the world for the first coming of the Christ. In that divine economy, world history or secular history is subservient to sacred history and is controlled by it and not the other way around .

Israel is the nation God used to bring the Messiah - Jesus the Christ. 

Jesus began His ministry in Israel (Judah). There He chose His 12 disciples and gained many followers who were latter to be called for the first time Christians  in Antioch .

Acts 11:26 (KJV)

And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY 

The dispersion of the Gospel by the apostles and other Christians into the world created a body of Christians not united with a well defined doctrine. The Apostles struggled to address some of the Heresies in their time . Example is such as ‘Docetism’ ( A Gnostics doctrine which denies that Christ came in the flesh) was addressed by John in 1Jn 4:1-3.

1 John 4:1-3 (KJV) 1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

The Gospel did not land in a vacuum nor in the cultural mind of a ‘tabula rasa’ but rather a hostility of philosophies, doctrines and beliefs. It also faced the danger of negative syncretism.

Some philosophies were so close to Christianity that one of such could superficially pass as a Christian. According to P Manly Hall, Hermetic philosophy, Gnostic Philosophy and Neoplatonism were very close to Christianity. It was necessary for the Christians to distinguish their doctrine from the rest with a clearly defined doctrine. This task was done mostly in Africa. Africa was the birthplace of Christian scholarship that supplied the theological doctrinal definitions of Christian orthodoxy and its adjacent philosophical, ecclesiological, academic and monastic patterns that have not only been the buttress of Christianity but also a light for the Western Civilization.

 EVIDENCE THAT JUSTIFIES THE CLAIM THAT AFRICA WAS THE MOTHER OF CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY 

(Recommendations. Most of the material here is from the book “HOW AFRICA SHAPED THE CHRISTIAN MIND” by Thomas C Oden, and The Complete Works of the Church Fathers by Phillip Schaff .)

THE CHRISTIAN CANON WAS DEVELOPED IN AFRICA 

Africa possesses the quintessential relevance to Christianity, the syncretism of Jerusalem and Athens. The city of Alexandria Of Egypt was the Capital Of the Greek Empire. The Jewish population there was large and many spoke Greek more than Hebrew. Because of its status as a metropolis for commerce and administration in the Hellenistic world Alexandria became also the center of western intellectual learning where philosophy guarded the wisdom and belief of many .

One can allegorically say that Greek Philosophy then served as the lesser light like the moon leading men out of the dark night into the day while Jerusalem served as the larger light like the sun leading to special revelation. We can contemplate Day and Night complementing each other.

Similarly the Christian Philosophers saw philosophy as the schoolmaster that brought one to Christ.

“Clement compares it to a wild olive tree, which can

be ennobled by faith; Origen compared it to the jewels, which the Israelites took with them out of Egypt, and turned into ornaments for their sanctuary, though they also wrought them

into the golden calf. Philosophy is not necessarily an enemy to the truth, but may, and should be its handmaid, and neutralize the attacks against it. The elements of truth in the heathen philosophy they attributed partly to the secret operation of the Logos in the world of reason, partly to acquaintance with the writings of Moses and the prophets.” ....History of the Christian Church -Phillip Schaff.

The Alexandrian Philosophical School Of Theology a masterpiece of St Mark the Evangelist comes face to face with the Special Revelation the Bible. Here philosophy is used to define and to show the justification of special revelation.   

Justin Martyr a once secular philosopher, when he discovered the doctrine and teachings of the prophets , remarked that their philosophy is better than the secular philosophy.

THE TWO MAJOR TRANSLATIONS ; THE SEPTUAGINT AND THE VULGATE THAT PROVIDED BASIS FOR OTHER TRANSLATIONS FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD WERE DONE OR SOURCED FROM AFRICA .

Without the Bible there would be no Christianity as we know it. The Scripture initially was only the Old Testament and was in Hebrew. To make it available to a large part of the world it would need a widely spoken language. The Lord in light of Sacred History chose a language for a larger empire 

than the preceding Medo-Persian and Babylonian empires as revealed in the Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. ( A statue used to illustrate a prophetic eschatological events from the 7the Century BC to the second coming of Christ.) 

  The larger empires was the Greek Empire and the language is the Greek Language which was dispersed throughout the Greek Empire 

( Dan 2: 39b) by means of Hellenism. The Greek Empire covered Western Europe and stretched as far into Asia as India.

The Bible then which was the Old Testament in Hebrew was first Translated into Greek in Africa under the order of King Ptolemy II Of Egypt 

The city was Alexandria in Egypt. ( legend says it was in a small island on the tip of Alexandria called Pharos Island which now holds the lighthouse of Alexandria)

This translation is the Septuagint (LXX) 300-200BCE

THE VULGATE

The Latin Vulgate took its sources from Africa 

The Translation into Latin was made by Jerome from the available books and texts that were from Africa.

THEOLOGY 

ORTHODOXY AND HERETICAL DISPUTES

Africa was the crucible where orthodoxy was developed. It was where the dross was purged from the silver and the bread was refined from the leaven. The relentless drive for truth and its preservation took its toll even on some of the finest faithful. Some as martyrs and others as heretics. Some were excommunicated and others censored. It was here that Christianity distinguished herself from Gnosticism, Montanism, Donatism, Arianism, Pelagianism, Manicheanism , Neoplatonism, Sabellanianism, and many more. The desire for God was stronger than the panting of the deer for water.

The drive for truth was an apathetic judge. One could be a hero in defense of one doctrine and be deemed a heretic on another doctrine .

The outcome of such crucible was the Canon and the Essential Christian Doctrine as we have today.

The Christian Canon 

As explained above The African Church Father Athanasius (296–373AD) Bishop Of Alexandria was chief in the development of the New Testament Canon as we have it today. He canonically defined the books that are accepted by the Church as orthodox and in use today in his 39th FESTAL letter sent to the church at large on Jan 7 /367 AD

He named all the Old Testament books and then the New Testament books distinguishing them from the apocrypha :

“There are, then, of the Old Testament, twenty-two books in number; for, as I have heard, it is handed down that this is the number of the letters among the Hebrews; their respective order and names being as follows. The first is Genesis, then Exodus, next Leviticus, after that Numbers, and then Deuteronomy. Following these there is Joshua, the son of Nun, then Judges, then Ruth. And again, after these four books of Kings, the first and second being reckoned as one book, and so likewise the third and fourth as one book. And again, the first and second of the Chronicles are reckoned as one book. Again Ezra, the first and second are similarly one book. After these there is the book of Psalms, then the Proverbs, next Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. Job follows, then the Prophets, the twelve being reckoned as one book. Then Isaiah, one book, then Jeremiah with Baruch, Lamentations, and the epistle, one book; afterwards, Ezekiel and Daniel, each one book. Thus far constitutes the Old Testament. 5. Again it is not tedious to speak of the [books] of the New Testament. These are, the four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Afterwards, the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles (called Catholic), seven, viz. of James, one; of Peter, two; of John, three; after these, one of Jude. In addition, there are fourteen Epistles of Paul, written in this order. The first, to the Romans; then two to the Corinthians; after these, to the Galatians; next, to the Ephesians; then to the Philippians; then to the Colossians; after these, two to the Thessalonians, and that to the Hebrews; and again, two to Timothy; one to Titus; and lastly, that to Philemon. And besides, the Revelation of John.” ...

and concluded thus

“These are fountains of salvation, that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these alone is proclaimed the doctrine of godliness. Let no man add to these, neither let him take ought from these. For concerning these the Lord put to shame the Sadducees, and said, 'You err, not knowing the Scriptures.' And He reproved the Jews, saying, 'Search the Scriptures, for these are they that testify of Me [ Matthew 22:29; John 5:39 ].' 7. But for greater exactness I add this also, writing of necessity; that there are other books besides these not indeed included in the Canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness. The Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Sirach, and Esther, and Judith, and Tobit, and that which is called the Teaching of the Apostles, and the Shepherd. But the former, my brethren, are included in the Canon, the latter being [merely] read; nor is there in any place a mention of apocryphal writings. But they are an invention of heretics, who write them when they choose, bestowing upon them their approbation, and assigning to them a date, that so, using them as ancient writings, they may find occasion to lead astray the simple”

  .... Festival Letter 39. Athanasius.... The Complete works of the Church Fathers 

 CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE 

AFRICAN SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDED PHILOSOPHICAL AND EXEGESIS POWER IN THE DEFINITIONS AND DEFENSE OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE 

The Alexandrian philosophical School of theology was

primarily established by the Bishop of the church of Alexandria-St Mark 

The scholarship power of this school helped build the foundation of Christian Theology before it spread to Europe and Asia. A Line of intellectual minds such as Pantaenus, Clement, Origen, Didymus using the Greek Language and many more from the Latin African Fathers such as Augustine and Tertullian among whom were native Africans or resident professors provided doctrinal and theological definitions, seminal patterns of exegesis, rhetoric, education and apologetics that would sustain the church on a solid foundation against internal and external forces.

It was the battlefield against Pellagianism, Arianism, Modalism, Sabellenianism. Gnosticsm-Doscetism, Donatism, and the theological definitions of the Original Sin, Trinity, and subjects and disciplines like Exegesis, Education and Monastery 

THE UNIVERSITY:

The Library Of Alexandria was the largest library in the world in its time. The libraries of future universities of Europe were built after that of Alexandria. 

“ Before the Middle Ages, Greek scholars carefully collected and inventoried books and other written materials in the Library of Alexandria, which truly made it a sort of precursor to all modern libraries. In fact, the Library of Alexandria proved to be one of the greatest institutions created in the ancient world because it influenced the minds of countless people in profound ways for centuries. The Library not only inspired the imaginations of artists but gave birth to new research methods, which proved to provide the basis for many considered common-place today. The Library of Alexandria was one of the few libraries in the ancient Greek world, which helped ensure that mathematicians, scientists and other scholars from across the Mediterranean traveled to Egypt to study there, and it was so impressive in its size and influence that it left an indelible mark on the world that still reverberates today.” — Charles River Editors Author Of The Library of Alexandria: The History and Legacy of the Ancient World’s Most Famous Library , Kindle Edition

Universities such as Oxford of England, Padua of Italy Paris of France, Salamanca of Spain owe thei heritage to the Alexandrian Library.

The greatness of the Alexandria and its Library and its legacy is not by random or coincidence.

It is the dictates of divine sacred history for the purpose of the gospel and ultimately in continuum with Gods program for the salvation of man.  

We see the prophetic fulfillment of the Greek Empire according to Dan.2:39b 

The choice of geographical location of the city for its convenience as a seaport that serves Europe and Asia to as far as India made it a metropolis for the Greek Empire. It was a great center for trade and thus attracted people from all professions.

ALEXANDRIA ATTRACTED Sailors, Merchants, SCHOLARS, SCIENTISTS, PHILOSOPHERS, MATHEMATICIANS, ARTISTS, & HISTORIANS. Many migrated there and a lot were born there: Archimedes, Heroin, Euclid, 

 The concentration of many great minds enriched North Africa as an Intellectual center for the world. It is therefore not a surprise or and overstretch to state Africa was the host nation for the development and dissemination of Christian Philosophy and Theology.

ECUMENICAL STRUCTURE:  

Europe and Asia and even the First Council of Jerusalem around 45AD followed the archetype from Africa even .  

 FESTAL LETTERS

The church at large relied on the Egyptian church for calendar and vestal dates

http://www.ntcanon.org/Athanasius.shtml

In view of the reputation of Alexandrian scholars who were devoted to astronomical calculations, it is not surprising that other parts of Christendom should eventually come to rely on the Egyptian Church for information concerning the date of Easter, made available to the Western Church through the bishop of Rome, and to the Syrian Church through the bishop of Antioch.