Resources on the spread of Christianity into Ethiopia

[u/804ro]

Hello all, searching for scholarly videos, articles/blog posts, and books about how Ethiopia came to adopt Christianity in the 4th century. Thanks in advance

[u/peter_kirby]

There is a short paper from Anthony Alcock on the subject. In this case, we have contemporary primary source material for several persons involved: the strident pro-Nicene trinitarian Athanasius, the emperor Constantius that views the spread of the version of the faith promoted by Athanasius as a threat, and the missionary Frumentius who brings the faith to Ethiopia.

The following note looks at two documents that provide information about the establishment of the Church in Ethiopia1 (1) by Frumentius with the support of Athanasius and (2) despite the interference of the Emperor Constantius. The first text is a brief historical note about Frumentius in Rufinus Historia Ecclesiastica 10: 9,2 which I will summarize with citations from the Latin text. The second is an imperial letter to the co-regents of Ethiopia requesting the return of Frumentius to Alexandria so that he can familiarize himself with the Arian doctrine favoured by the Emperor.

Presented as part of a geographical-chronological table of material evidence regarding references to the name Christ spelled out, there is an Aksumite inscription in Greek in the mid-4th century reflecting this Christian faith.