Page 184 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

A History of the Church in Africa

the firewood, and, as the flames rose, they could be heard praying,
and quoting scripture. One witness said: “They prayed as long as
they had life.” (Isichei, 151)

Facing severe threats, the missionaries left, but many Malagasy
Christians were true to the faith—even in the face of imprisonment
and death. By the time the persecution ended, the Christian
community had really grown significantly. Neill describes the new
freedom, stating:

Out of the recesses of the forests there came men and women
who had been wanderers and outcasts for years. They re-
appeared as if risen from the dead. Their brethren from the
city went out to meet them, and to help them and as they saw
their old city again, they sang the pilgrim song “When the Lord
turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them in our
dream.” (319)

Queen Ranavalona died in 1861, and her son, Radama II, who began
to rule, proclaimed religious freedom. Then both Protestant and Catholic
missionaries returned, and Queen Ranavalona II became a Protestant
Christian. As one might expect, the pendulum swung away from the
previous policy of extremism, as Isichei notes:

As a result of her urging, the icons of traditional religion were
destroyed, and, in 1869, the couple was married in church.
The main concentration of mission work and education during
this time was Merina. By 1875, Protestants alone had 30,000
pupils. (152)

In his history, Latourette refers to Madagascar as having “one of
the most remarkable stories in the entire course of the expansion of
Christianity” (1970, 5:313).

I have visited Antananarivo and the surrounding areas many times.
When I visit this area, I am always struck by the scene of church buildings
with distinct steeples on hilltops. The Merina and the Betsileo of the
central kingdom have been strongly influenced by a Christian past. As
one passes the church buildings, one can only wonder how many people

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