Religion in Ethiopia

Religion in Ethiopian is diverse. The major religions include Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Paganism. The majority of Ethiopia’s large population (93.9 million) adhere to Christianity or Islam. Ethiopia is 34 percent Muslim and 63 percent Christian. Christianity is the predominant religion. Christians are further divided amongst the Orthodox Tewahedo Church , Protestant, and Roman Catholic churches (44 percent Orthodox; 19 percent Protestant; less than 1 percent Roman Catholic). 

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Christianity in Ethiopia

According to the legend of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (discussed in Blog Post 2), on the night that Solomon knew the queen, Solomon dreamt a dream. In his dream he saw a sun. This sun “arose of the people of Judah in Israel, but the people of Israel mistreated it and killed it and held it of no account, although it rose from the tomb and brightened the whole world, especially Ethiopia and Rome.” This sun, which Solomon dreamed of, is the Lord Jesus Christ, who was mistreated and killed and held of no account by the Israelite people from whom he arose, yet he “rose from the tomb and brightened the whole world, especially Ethiopia.” Solomon’s dream was certainly fulfilled; the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ has shone brightly upon Ethiopia since the time of Christ’s resurrection in the first century. 

During the first years of the Christian church, Philip the evangelist found an Ethiopian journeying home from Jerusalem, reading the prophet Isaiah. It is significant to note that this Ethiopian had travelled to Jerusalem to worship, and he also possessed a portion of the Scriptures (this was rare during this time). According to Ethiopian tradition, Ethiopians had worshiped the God of the Bible for several centuries before this - ever since the Queen of Sheba learned of the one true God and her son had taken the Ark of the Covenant back to Ethiopia. So it is no surprise that this Ethiopian had travelled to the temple and was reading the Scriptures. When Philip found him, he explained the passage of Scripture to him (from Isaiah 53), and “told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35). According to tradition, this Ethiopian brought the gospel to his homeland. Tradition also holds that Ethiopians were present on the day of Pentecost, and that the Apostle Matthew was sent to Ethiopia where he preached the gospel and suffered martyrdom. Throughout the rest of the first three centuries, merchants from the Roman Empire brought the gospel with them to Ethiopia.

In the fourth century, Syrian Christians (Frumentius and Aedesius) who became involved in the court of the Ethiopian King Ezana, where they brought the message of the gospel to the king and his court. The young King Ezana, converted to Christianity and made Christianity the official state religion. After the king’s conversion, the gospel spread more freely and widely throughout the country, reaching every man, woman, and child. Over time, Christianity became essential to the national identity of Ethiopia. According to Professor Sergew Habele Selassie, “Christianity does not constitute a purely religious phenomenon on the country, but plays an integral role in all aspects of national life. The Church is not only a religious institution, but has for many centuries been the repository of the cultural, political and social life of the people.”
(For more information on the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, see http://ethiopianorthodox.org/)

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Islam

Islam was introduced to Ethiopia in the seventh century - in 615 AD. Islam is the predominant religion in the easternmost regions of Ethiopia.

God’s Grace Toward Ethiopia

The one true living God - the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ - has mercifully shown, throughout history, a special favor toward the Ethiopian people. In 10 BC, the queen in Ethiopia visited Jerusalem and gained knowledge of the one true God which she brought back to her homeland. In the days of the prophet Jeremiah, an Ethiopian in the king’s court put his trust in the Lord and was saved (Jeremiah 39:16-18). In the first century, Philip the evangelist is led by God to bring the gospel to an Ethiopian. The Ethiopian believed and was baptized (Acts 8:26-39). In the fourth century, King Ezana adopted the Coptic Christian faith as the official faith of his kingdom. Throughout the middle ages, Ethiopia was ruled by a Christian priest-king, “Prester John.” Even today, Ethiopia is predominantly a Christian country. 

Sources:

Belcher, Stephen Paterson. African Myths Of Origin. London: Penguin, 2005. 

Professor Sergew Hable Sellassie and Professor Tadesse Tamerat. “The Church of Ethiopia: A Panorama of History and Spiritual Life.” Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, 1970. http://www.ethiopianorthodox.org/english/ethiopian/prechristian.html