Does Christianity’s Global Reach Prove Its God Is Universal?

I argue that many Nigerian Christians inherit the names Jesus, God and Amen long before they can examine the history behind those beliefs. Repetition in homes, churches and schools can make a religious tradition feel universal, but familiarity alone is not evidence that it is true for every people. Ideas of divinity are rooted in language, memory, rituals and the histories of particular communities. Chukwu, Olódùmarè, Ubangiji and the biblical deity may all be discussed as divine beings, but translating them into the same English term does not automatically make them identical. Christianity reached much of Africa through missionary activity, colonial rule, Western education and the marginalisation of indigenous traditions. I question why a deity presented as the Creator of all humanity would be known to many African societies mainly through the religious history of ancient Israel and later European expansion. A religion’s worldwide influence can explain how its beliefs spread, but it does not by itself prove that its deity is the universal Creator. Cultural dominance and inherited belief should not be mistaken for proof.

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