African Agency in Mission: Apolo Kivebulaya and Religious Change in East Africa [reviewing Wild-Wood, Emma. The Mission of Apolo Kivebulaya]

Abstract

This book provides a history of religious change in East Africa through the lens of the life of Apolo Kivebulaya (c. 1865 – 1933). The book closely examines a previously less visible and poorly documented history, arguing that Kivebulaya and other African Christians contributed to the production and spread of spiritual knowledge, practices, and relationships. Given the fact that most of the existing documentation was written by European missionaries, the biography ensures that Africans remain at the center as the primary agents of Christian witness. The biography demonstrates excellent engagement of sources, including archival material and sources only available in East Africa.