Mission history in Africa: new perspectives on an encounter / Robert Strayer -- African conversion: a historical overview / Brendan Carmody -- African conversion / Robin Horton -- Conversion reconsidered: some historical aspects of religious conversion in Black Africa / Humphrey J. Fisher -- On the rationality of conversion, part I / Robin Horton -- On the rationality of conversion, part II / Robin Horton -- The juggernaut's apologia: conversion to Islam in Black Africa / Humphrey J. Fisher -- Christianity and religious change in Africa / Richard Gray -- Leza into God, God into Leza / Elizabeth Colson -- Conversion and school at Chikuni: 1905-1939 / Brendan Carmody -- Catholic conversion and school in Africa today / Brendan Carmody -- The nature and role of conversion in Zambia / Brendan Carmody -- African conversion: entering the fold of Islam / Felix J. Phiri -- Conversion to Pentecostalism in Zambia / Austin M. Cheyeka -- Religious change in Zambia / W. Van Binsbergen -- Encounter between advocate and convert / Lewis R. Rambo.

Religious Conversion: An African Perspective includes a selection of key texts which are not easily accessible elsewhere. Most of the chapters discuss the long-standing thesis of Robin Horton who argues that religious change results from social transformation. The contributors provide different perspectives on what remains an ongoing provocative, though inconclusive debate. The book has chapters on conversion in Africa from such authorities as Robin Horton, Humphrey Fisher, and Richard Gray. It also contains chapters on Zambia by Elizaebeth Colson, Brendan Carmody, Austin Cheyeka, Felix Phiri and W Van Binsbergen. This collection of chapters provides an introduction to the discussion surrounding the query: Did the Christian and Muslim messages bring something fundamentally new to the African religious horizon? What has indigenisation meant? What is the role of traditional religion?