World Christianity: A Historical and Theological Introduction
Ebook
Overview
Christianity is vibrant and growing in the non-western “majority” world and Christianity is changing as a result. Pachuau surveys the current trending approaches to recognizing and investigating “world Christianity” and explores the salient features of the demographic changes that mark a measurable shift in the center of gravity from the northwest part of the globe to the southern continents. This shift is not just geographical. World Christianity is ultimately about the changing and diversifying character of Christianity and a renewed recognition of the dynamic universality of Christian faith itself: Christianity is a shared religion in that people of different cultures and societies make it their own while being transformed by it. Christanity is translatable and adaptable to all cultures while challenging each with its transformative power. Pachuau also charts the theological reestablishment of the missionary enterprise founded on understandings of God’s mission in the world (mission Dei), a mission of cross-cultural gospel diffusion for missionary advocates in the majority world but one of near neighbor missional engagement for the contagious Charismatic Christianity of the majority world.
This book is both a descriptive study and a thoughtful analysis of world Christianity’s demographics, life, representation, and thought. The book an also gives an account of the historical emergence of World Christianity and its theological characteristics using a methodology that stresses the productive tension between the universal and particular in understanding a fundamentally adaptable Christian faith.
Non-Western Christianity is reshaping Christianity for all of us.
Gives history, theological framework, and global trends of World Christianity.
Shows how and why Christianity is growing in non-Western contexts.
Shows how non-Western Christianity is effecting Western Christianity.
Readers will see the fruits of denominational cooperation and missional emphases.
Readers will have a firmer grasp on why and how Christianity is growing in non-Westerns contexts.
Readers will find how new ways of living the Christian faith can impact their own views of Christianity.
Top Highlights
“Even among many intellectuals, the hold of a faith in the power of the Spirit over other spirits appears firm. Belief in supernatural manifestations of God the Spirit, or at least its possibility, would seem near to most vital and growing forms of Christian faith in Africa.” (source)
“First, at the conceptual level, the ‘world’ indicates that the Christian message of the gospel is meant for, or directed to, the world. It belongs to every part, every people, and every creature of the world. Christianity is about God’s work in and for the world in Christ; it belongs to the world, and to every cultural group of the world.” (source)
“New Pentecostal churches are independent and autonomous in nature, and a number of them are classified to be ‘mega’ churches because of the sheer size of the congregations. Beyond these two, there are trans-denominational Pentecostal fellowships whose impact is felt well beyond the Pentecostal churches themselves.” (source)
“At the heart of charismatic Christianity is the belief in a present and active Spirit of God who often acts supernaturally. As will be shown later, many majority-world Christians are charismatic by nature and most strongly believe in God’s will to supernaturally reveal God’s very self.” (source)
“While some of the churches have their roots in the Azusa Street revivals of Los Angeles (USA), most are locally initiated. Like the Pentecostal churches in Latin America discussed above, local initiatives and adaptation rates are high even among those founded elsewhere.” (source)
Product Details
- Title : World Christianity: A Historical and Theological Introduction
- Author: Pachuau, Lalsangkima
- Publisher: Abingdon Press
- Publication Date: 2018
- ISBN: 9781501842306