Philip Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146165
- eISBN:
- 9780199834341
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146166.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
We are living through one of the greatest transformations in the history of religion worldwide. Over the last century, Christianity has enjoyed explosive growth in the global South–in Africa, Asia, ...
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We are living through one of the greatest transformations in the history of religion worldwide. Over the last century, Christianity has enjoyed explosive growth in the global South–in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Within a few decades, Christianity will be overwhelmingly a non-European, non-white religion. Philip Jenkins argues that what we are seeing is no less than the creation of a new Christendom, which, for better or worse, will play a major role in world affairs. This book offers the first in-depth examination of the globalization of Christianity and discusses the implications for Christian worship, liturgy, culture, and political life. In addition, the denominations that are triumphing all over the global south are strongly traditional and even reactionary by the standards of economically advanced nations, and their message tends to be charismatic, visionary, and apocalyptic. This newly militant Christianity may give rise to renewed religious rivalry, especially since Islam is expanding in the same areas as Christianity. The resulting confrontations have already given rise to deadly conflicts in places such as Nigeria, Malaysia, and Indonesia. An unprecedented and potentially dangerous global change is underway. This book is an important first step toward understanding its challenges and its threats.Less
We are living through one of the greatest transformations in the history of religion worldwide. Over the last century, Christianity has enjoyed explosive growth in the global South–in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Within a few decades, Christianity will be overwhelmingly a non-European, non-white religion. Philip Jenkins argues that what we are seeing is no less than the creation of a new Christendom, which, for better or worse, will play a major role in world affairs. This book offers the first in-depth examination of the globalization of Christianity and discusses the implications for Christian worship, liturgy, culture, and political life. In addition, the denominations that are triumphing all over the global south are strongly traditional and even reactionary by the standards of economically advanced nations, and their message tends to be charismatic, visionary, and apocalyptic. This newly militant Christianity may give rise to renewed religious rivalry, especially since Islam is expanding in the same areas as Christianity. The resulting confrontations have already given rise to deadly conflicts in places such as Nigeria, Malaysia, and Indonesia. An unprecedented and potentially dangerous global change is underway. This book is an important first step toward understanding its challenges and its threats.
Philip Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146165
- eISBN:
- 9780199834341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146166.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This first chapter of the book introduces the transformation that is occurring in Christianity worldwide. It describes how, over the past century, the center of gravity of the Christian world has ...
More
This first chapter of the book introduces the transformation that is occurring in Christianity worldwide. It describes how, over the past century, the center of gravity of the Christian world has shifted inexorably southward and forecasts that this trend will continue apace, so that, in contrast to earlier predictions that Western (“European”) Christianity (seen by some as the ideological arm of Western imperialism) is in its dying days and that Islam is the global faith of the future, Christianity should enjoy a worldwide boom in the twenty-first century. The different sections of the chapter discuss the new tradition of Christianity in the South–pointing out that most writers are neglecting this reality, and focusing on Western Christianity; the implications of this for theology and religious practice since Southern Christianity is far more conservative, even reactionary, and supernatural (charismatic, visionary, and apocalyptic); earlier predictions forecasting the death of orthodox (Western) Christianity, which did not allow for the globalization of the religion; the possible rise of a new Southern Christendom and the conflicts and struggles that this might cause; and the future responses of Northern/Western and Southern Christians to the rise of the Southern Christianity.Less
This first chapter of the book introduces the transformation that is occurring in Christianity worldwide. It describes how, over the past century, the center of gravity of the Christian world has shifted inexorably southward and forecasts that this trend will continue apace, so that, in contrast to earlier predictions that Western (“European”) Christianity (seen by some as the ideological arm of Western imperialism) is in its dying days and that Islam is the global faith of the future, Christianity should enjoy a worldwide boom in the twenty-first century. The different sections of the chapter discuss the new tradition of Christianity in the South–pointing out that most writers are neglecting this reality, and focusing on Western Christianity; the implications of this for theology and religious practice since Southern Christianity is far more conservative, even reactionary, and supernatural (charismatic, visionary, and apocalyptic); earlier predictions forecasting the death of orthodox (Western) Christianity, which did not allow for the globalization of the religion; the possible rise of a new Southern Christendom and the conflicts and struggles that this might cause; and the future responses of Northern/Western and Southern Christians to the rise of the Southern Christianity.
