Encyclopedia of Protestantism

BENIN

Benin: translation

Several different African peoples occupied the land of present-day Benin in centuries past. The Fon people had established Ouidah as a major West African seaport that in the 18th century was a frequent calling point for slave ships.
Benin remained in African hands until the 1890s, when the French turned it into a colony known as Dahomey. in the process, they destroyed the economic base of the land, palm oil and agriculture. Having run the colony into bankruptcy, in 1960 they abandoned it, and the present nation of Benin emerged.
Benin became a religious battleground with islam expanding from the north and west, while Catholics and Protestants launched missions in the 19th century.African Methodist convert and missionary Thomas Birch Freeman (1809-90) began the Protestant work. It has persisted steadily for a century and a half, and the Methodist Protestant Church of Benin remains the largest non-Catholic Christian body.
There has been no Lutheran, Presbyterian, Congregational, or even Baptist work of note. instead, Benin has become a haven for many of the African Initiated Churches (AIC), most of which have spread there from neighboring countries. only a very few, the Celestial Church of Christ being the most prominent example, originated in Benin (as the Heavenly Christianity Church). The united Native African Church, a split from the Anglican Church, was apparently the first AiC to establish itself in Dahomey, in 1895.
The African initiated Churches have had a resonance with American Pentecostalism, which appears to have been introduced in the 1930s. The Assemblies of God, with a reported 50,000 members, is by far the largest, and work is also proceeding under the auspices of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, the Church of God of Prophecy, and the United Pentecostal CHuRCH.
Ecumenical work has not progressed in Benin as in other countries. The Methodist Protestant Church of Benin is the only group that belongs to the World Council of Churches. Most recently, some of the more conservative bodies have formed the Féderation des Eglises et Missions Evangéliques du Benin, which is affiliated with the World Evangelical Alliance. Benin is now approximately 20 percent Muslim, 20 percent Catholic, and 10 percent Protestant-Free Church. About 50 percent of the population continue to follow one of several traditional religions.
See alsoAfrica, sub-Saharan.
Further reading:
■ Samuel Decalo,Historical Dictionary of Benin(Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1995)
■ M. C. Merlo, "Les sectes du Dahomey" inDevant les sectes nonchrétiennes(Louvain, Belgium: Desclée de Brouwer, 1961)
■World Methodist Council, Handbook of Information(Lake Junaluska, N.C.: World Methodist Council, 2003).

  1. benin—Benin translation Benin Vicariate Apostolic on the coast of Benin dd Catholic Encyclopedia.Kevin Knight Benin Benin Catholic_Encyclopediau Benin Vicariate Apostolic...Catholic encyclopedia
  2. bénin—bnin bersetzungben m GEO Benin n bnin bnigne [ben beni] Adjectif harmlos tumeur gutartig punition mild[e]...Dictionnaire Francais-Allemand
  3. bénin—Bnin bersetzungben m GEO Benin n Bnin [ben] Substantif masculin Beispielu le Bnin Benin neutreem...Dictionnaire Francais-Allemand
  4. benin—Benin bersetzungDahome veraltet Dahomey veraltet Beni sStaat in Afrika frher Dahome[y]. Istrong Beniun Beniun ehemaliges Knigreich der Edo Bini in Westafrika im Gebi...Universal-Lexicon
  5. benin—[bnn benn]Бенин...Англо-русский большой универсальный переводческий словарь
  6. benin—n Бенин...Англо-русский словарь Лингвистика-98
  7. benin—Benin noun Бенин...Англо-русский словарь Мюллера
  8. benin—сущ. геогр. Republic of Benin Бенин государство в Западной Африке столица ПортоНово...Англо-русский словарь общей лексики
  9. benin—the Republic of BeninБенин Республика Бенин...Англо-русский терминологический словарь МИД России
  10. benin—сущ. общ. Бенин республика столица ПортоНово государственный язык французский национальная валюта франк КФА BCEAOem CFA franc BCEAO CFA franc West African Economic and ...Англо-русский экономический словарь
  11. benín—Бениuн Repblica Popular de Benn...Большой испанско-русский словарь
  12. benin—Бенин государство Итальянорусский словарь....Большой итальяно-русский и русско-итальянский словарь
  13. benin—n s...Большой немецко-русский и русско-немецкий словарь
  14. bénin—m...Большой французско-русский и русско-французский словарь
  15. bénin—adj fmem bnigne благодушный мягкий безобидный благожелательный remde bnin мягкодействующее лекарство благоприятный ciel bnin мягкий климат доброкачественный об опухоли...Большой французско-русский и русско-французский словарь
  16. benin—.strong [benin] n геогр.Republic of Benin Республика Бенин [benin] aотносящийся к Бенину бенинский...Новый большой англо-русский словарь
  17. benin—Benin . [benin] n геогр.i Бенин Republic of Республика Бенин . [benin] ai относящийся к Бенину бенинский...Новый большой англо-русский словарь II
  18. benin—.strong benin n геогр. Бенин Republic of Республика Бенин .strong benin a относящийся к Бенину бенинский...Новый большой англо-русский словарь под общим руководством акад. Ю.Д. Апресяна
  19. bénin—adj fm bnigne благодушный мягкий безобидный благожелательный remde bnin мягкодействующее лекарство благоприятный ciel bnin мягкий климат доброкачественный об опухол...Новый французско-русский словарь
  20. bénin—m Бенин...Новый французско-русский словарь
  21. benin—геогр.u Бенин государство...Норвежско-русский словарь
  22. benin—[бенн]...Польсько-український словник