The Globalization of Christianity: Implications for Christian Ministry and Theology

While Christianity appears to be in decline in the West it is growing robustly in the global South. What does this mean for the Christianity that was once considered to be the religion of the West? The new contexts and trajectories require innovative responses and relevant theological reflection in the church. This volume addresses these changes through identifying and analyzing global shifts, highlighting practical innovations in the church that attempt to deal with new trajectories, and proposing theological positions intended to help face the issues and challenges of the twenty-first century. Contributors to this volume include Philip Jenkins (The Next Christendom, The New Faces of Christianity, God’s Continent), Steven M. Studebaker, Gordon L. Heath, Bradley K. Broadhead, Christof Sauer, Lee Beach, Michael P. Knowles, Peter Althouse, Michael Wilkinson, John H. Issak, David K. Taurus, and Seongho Kang. ＂＂The rapidly shifting character of world Christianity demands active responses as well as intense scrutiny. This collection of essays adds significantly to awareness even as it challenges to action. The integration of Canada in the picture is a particularly welcome feature of this thought-provoking book.＂＂ --Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN ＂＂The Globalization of Christianity provides comprehensive study on a variety of topics that are important for the life and ministry of the church today. After surveying current trends in global Christianity, the book argues for a global theology based on Scripture. Such theology ought to express the voices of all cultures in contemporary world context. . . . The book highlights the church’s responsibility toward persecuted Christians using the Armenian genocide a century ago as well as examples of contemporary persecuted Christians. The variety of topics presented in this study will benefit the global church. This book is highly recommended for the church and the academy.＂＂ --Wafik Wahba, Associate Professor of Global Christianity, Tyndale Seminary, Toronto, ON, Canada Gordon L. Heath is Associate Professor of Christian History at McMaster Divinity College, the Director of the Canadian Baptist Archives, and Centenary Chair in World Christianity. His publications include A War with a Silver Lining: Canadian Protestant Churches and the South African War, 1899-1902 (2009). Steven M. Studebaker is Associate Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at McMaster Divinity College, where he also serves as the Howard and Shirley Bentall Chair in Evangelical Thought. He writes in the area of Pentecostalism, missions, and Jonathan Edwards.

Gordon L. Heath is Associate Professor of Christian History at McMaster Divinity College, the Director of the Canadian Baptist Archives, and Centenary Chair in World Christianity. His publications include A War with a Silver Lining: Canadian Protestant Churches and the South African War, 1899-1902 (2009).

Steven M. Studebaker is Associate Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at McMaster Divinity College, where he also serves as the Howard and Shirley Bentall Chair in Evangelical Thought. He writes in the area of Pentecostalism, missions, and Jonathan Edwards.