Christians in the City of Nairobi: An African City and the Future of World Christianity

In this book Kyama Mugambi and Mark Shaw examine the diverse expressions of Christianity in Metropolitan Nairobi, a city boasting a population of ten million, which is one of the most religiously pluralistic cities in the world. Founded in 1899 as little more than a train depot for the Uganda Railway, Nairobi has come a long way; mosques, megachurches and temples serve as the backdrop for examining Christianity and public life in this vibrant city.

This volume covers all the major Christian traditions practiced in the city, including Protestantism, Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The city is a laboratory of a new global pluralism, and avital centre of a new global Christian pluralism specifically. Mugambi and Shaw argue that this kind of pluralism is reshaping religion everywhere in the majority world.

Other themes include the role of women in Christianity, Kenyan Independent Churches, and the Christian youth movement. The book illuminates how through Christianity, Africans have begun to come to terms with modern urban realities, including religious pluralism, hypothesising how this process could unfold in other parts of the world.

Kyama Mugambi is a Senior Researcher with the Centre for World Christianity, Africa International University.

Mark Shaw is the director of the Centre for World Christianity and Professor of Historical Studies at Africa International University.