Orthodoxy and Script spreads to W Africa

The Trans-Saharan trade routes served as the introduction of Islam and Islamic scripts to W/Africa. So maybe prior to the Muslim conquest of N. Africa can we have similar introduction of Eastern Orthodoxy and an associated script to W. Africa. Further, maybe following being cut off due to the rise of the Rashidun's have Ethiopia be the centre of the orthodox church in Africa ( I recognise that Ethiopia's church followed the church in Alexandria at the time.)

P.S
Syncretism is expected, orthodoxy doesn't need to be the majority, just a significant enough minority w/ enough influence to nudge things.

How plausible is such a TL?
Possible effects on regional powers?
Impact on trade & geopolitics upon European arrival if say the coastal kingdoms followed orthodox traditions and liturgy while the inner powers retained their OTL Islamic influence?
 
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Not very, since geography utterly prevents Ethiopia from culturally influencing much beyond the Nile (north of the Sudd) and the Horn of Africa. Axum's collapse didn't help things.

West African Islam had a very Berber influence. This is the most logical manner for Christianity to spread into West Africa. Like West African Islam it would no doubt have a wide variety of folk traditions, possibly affecting relationships with Rome. Given the difficulties in traveling to religious sites north of the Sahara, West African Christianity stands the potential of fragmenting long-term.

As for scripts, Latin needs to be modified quite a bit to write (most) West African languages. An "African Cyrillic" with new (and altered) letters would be better and perhaps likely. Another interesting (but rather far off) option would be something derived from Berber, but that didn't survive Late Antiquity since they switched to Latin outside of the Tuareg. Greek, spread from Cyrenaica or Egypt, could also be modified to write West African languages.
 
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