The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity

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The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 413 ratings · 61 reviews

The first edition of The Next Christendom has been hailed as a landmark in our understanding of modern Christianity. In this new and substantially expanded second edition, Jenkins continues to illuminate the remarkable expanion of Christianity in the global South--in Africa, Asia, and Latin America--as well as the clash betwen Islam and Christianity since September 11. Amo...more

Paperback, 316 pages

Published March 19th 2007 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published January 1st 2002)

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Jul 27, 2012 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Philip Jenkinsboldly heralds the emergence of a twenty-first century Christendom. This new Christian society will be unlike the Christendom of the past in a number of significant ways. The most conspicuous variation is related to geography—while the locus of the last Christendom was located in the northern and western hemispheres, namely Europe, the locus of the next Christendom will be located in the southern and eastern hemispheres. Over the past century, Christianity has fallen into obscurity...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Valerie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Summary

The Next Christendom, by Dr. Jenkins, is a book about the Christian faith thriving not in the West, but in the global South. He argues, “Christianity is now rooted in the Third World, and the religion’s future lies in the global South.” With his statistics, it is difficult to disagree with Jenkins. In the first chapter, titled “Christian Revolution”, Jenkins observes that within the past century, Christianity has shifted from “white” nations to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Even furthe...more Summary

The Next Christendom, by Dr. Jenkins, is a book about the Christian faith thriving not in the West, but in the global South. He argues, “Christianity is now rooted in the Third World, and the religion’s future lies in the global South.” With his statistics, it is difficult to disagree with Jenkins. In the first chapter, titled “Christian Revolution”, Jenkins observes that within the past century, Christianity has shifted from “white” nations to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Even further, he claims, “the emerging Christian world will be anchored in the southern continents” and “soon, the two main centers of Christianity will be Africa and Latin America.” To prove his point, he states a startling statistic: “In 1950, a list of the world’s leading Christian countries would have included Britain, France, Spain, and Italy, but none of these names would be represented in a corresponding list for 2050.” If this is true, then Christianity, as we know it now will be of the past—stereotypes included, and thus the world will witness a “Christian Revolution.” In the next chapter, Jenkins gives a brief history of Christianity by pointing out that the global South has Christian heritage that is often overlooked and saying, “As Christianity moves south, it is in some ways returning to its roots.”
Jenkins continues in chapter three discussing the common view of missionaries and the history of prophets, particularly in Africa. He quotes, “Christian explorers bring more than just their faith. They also bring a profound sense of cultural superiority, and a lust for wealth.” He points out that while many people hold this view of Christian missionaries being oppressive, the truth is that these missionaries have been effective and admired in the Third World. Then he delves into African prophets mixing Christianity with their cultural pagan practices and beginning a new independent church. Continuing into the next chapter, Jenkins spouts out stats of Pentecostals, Roman Catholics, and Protestant population growth in Latin America and Africa. He credits the success to missionaries, but also acknowledges that churches “fulfill new social needs” as well as “provide functional alternative arrangements for health, welfare, and education.”
Despite all the Christian numbers and religious statistics, Jenkins believes defining “Christian” is not so black and white. There is an issue of people saying they are Christian, but do not practice it. The bigger issue is the hundreds of branches of Christianity that disagree on the fundamental and essential issues and incorporate cultural tradition with the Christian faith. Jenkins’ observation is that the churches of the South tend to be “enthusiastic, much more centrally concerned with the immediate workings of the supernatural, through prophecy, visions, ecstatic utterances, and healing.” This type of Christianity counters the Christianity of the North. Another difference is that the North practices a separation between church and state, where as the South infuse politics and religion together. Jenkins writes that at one point, Christianity will be so prominent in the politics of the South that the North will define itself against Christianity.
However, Christianity is not the only growing religion. Islam is rising fast and Jenkins confirms his insight that Islam and Christianity will raise arms once again in the “Next Crusade.” According to him, the booming population growth and conversions are factors that threaten to create religious instability and violence in the Third World.
As Jenkins wraps up his book, he expresses concern for the Southern churches. He admits that their conservatism might have something to do with their youth and there is still the possibility that as the church grows, so will ideas of liberalism. He concludes that Christianity will always thrive, but never as weak or as strong as we think it will.

Personal Reaction

Jenkins’ book has very many observational and insightful thoughts that Christians should consider. While he discusses many issues, the overall arching question is “How will Christianity in the South impact Christianity globally?” The answers bring forth many challenges for the church and missions.
The first and most obvious challenge is that many Christians in the global South have a Third World wealth status. The church is responsible for sharing what wealth they have with their fellow brothers and sisters, as well the lost community. Though churches in the North are significantly wealthier than those of the South, they ignore and refuse this responsibility. As the Christian church rapidly continues to grow in the South, this obligation becomes harder to ignore. Ironically enough, the churches in the South are not as hording compared to their brothers. In fact, it is because of their lower incomes that they can see money as something that is meant to bless others around them and help provide for their needs. Their generosity in giving does and will challenge wealthier penny-pinching churches. However, there are churches that see Christianity as a means of attaining wealth and health. Jenkins stated that the growth of many southern churches is due to economic circumstances. Missionaries have a responsibility to make it clear that Christianity does not mean prosperity. The challenge in this is that these Southern churches will find that message hard to believe from a Northern missionary who has never known hunger.
Another issue that arises with the growth of the Southern Church is the popularity of Pentecostals. Jenkins writes, “The types of Christianity that have thrived most successfully in the global South have been very different from what many Europeans and North Americans consider mainstream. These models have been far more enthusiastic, much more centrally concerned with the immediate workings of the supernatural, through prophecy, visions, ecstatic utterances, and healing.” Often, churches from the North do not give credit to “workings of the supernatural” and disregard them as figments of the imagination. Churches in the South do not need convincing of the supernatural because their cultures already implemented those kinds of beliefs. The difference is that Christ is the source of these supernatural miracles. As Southern churches grow and become the centers of Christianity, the Northern churches will have to reconsider where they stand on these issues, though eventually these practices will likely find their way into the church regardless. Missionaries working with Southern churches will find these supernatural events as conflicts simply because they do not understand. Missionaries may see the need to encourage rational thought, but they will also have to admit to these radical workings of the Holy Spirit. Overall, the growing acknowledgment of the supernatural may be exactly what the Christianity of the twenty first century needs and could have massive impact in the world.
Lastly, Jenkins points out the problems of inculturation. He says, “So far, we have been looking at forms of adaptation that clearly build on familiar Christian traditions, but some patterns in the emerging churches raise searching questions about the acceptable limits of accommodation.” Culture greatly effects how one views Christianity—North and South. Jenkins also notes, “When cultural assimilation reaches a certain point, Western observers complain that what is being transformed is not merely the trappings but the core of the faith. What is being practiced, it appears, is not inculturation but syncretism, the blatant adulteration of Christianity by elements of other religions.” Though Jenkins warns his readers about the South implementing Christianity with their pagan practices, truthfully, this is a dangerous possibility in any culture. Churches are challenged to dig into the Bible and discover the core matters of Christianity. Missionaries will be forced to incorporate new cultural practices, yet also speak against the ones that corrupt the original intent of Christianity.

Conclusion

Jenkins’ expresses many new thoughts about the future of Christianity in The Next Christendom. While some of his statistics about Christianity may not be the most accurate because of the difficulty in defining Christianity, his observances of general patterns in the global North and South ring true. Christians should know what their future may hold, what changes they might see, and what challenges they will likely face. Though Jenkins argues his point well, readers should know that most of this book is his speculations of Christianity’s future and not fact. Nonetheless, The Next Christendom is definitely a book that Christians should read, contemplate, and discuss.
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Jul 27, 2011 Joseph Sverker added it

Shelves: theology

Jenkins reveals many interesting aspects of the New Christendom, the Christendom often ignored, neglected or simply dismissed by the "Old" christendom. He might rely a little too much on a clash of the civilisations view of religion and political development, but the conclusions are nonetheless very interesting and I'm sure that he is right that the religious map will look very different and that it will affect the development of the world over all as well. It will be very exciting to see what w...more

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May 29, 2011 Glenn Williams rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is not a riveting, fast, page-turning book about how the world will come to an end, but it does describe a fascinating journey about the historical development of Christianity throughout the centuries, both its highs and lows, and how it has shaped modern Christianity. Jenkins provides a meticulous look at the shaping influences on how Christianity spreads, including how increasingly it is returning to its roots in what he calls The Global South. Until recently, the overwhelming majority of...more

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May 26, 2011 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: culture, dmingml, gml-dmin, missions

Jenkins has given his readers much to consider in The Next Christendom. Starting with statistical evidence that the heart of Christianity no longer lies in the West, but that it lies in the South on the continents of South America and Africa, and in the East in Asia, he paints a picture of current day Christianity that is very non-white, and poor. This revelation alone is enough to cause me to pause, and to begin to reevaluate much of my perspective on worldwide Christianity. Jenkins says, "If w...more Jenkins has given his readers much to consider in The Next Christendom. Starting with statistical evidence that the heart of Christianity no longer lies in the West, but that it lies in the South on the continents of South America and Africa, and in the East in Asia, he paints a picture of current day Christianity that is very non-white, and poor. This revelation alone is enough to cause me to pause, and to begin to reevaluate much of my perspective on worldwide Christianity. Jenkins says, "If we want to visualize a 'typical' contemporary Christian, we should think of a woman living in a village in Nigeria or in a Brazilian favela." This statement should not shock me, but it does. I am immediately exposed by Jenkins and primed to listen for more.

Jenkins then grabbed my attention when he spoke to the idea of a "tripartite model" of early Christian expansion. He says:

To imagine the early history of Christianity, we would do much better to use the standard map of the world that was regularly offered in medieval times. In these older pictures, the then known continents of Europe, Africa, and Asia all appeared as more or less equal lobes conjoined at a central location, which was Palestine, with Jerusalem at its center. This image made splendid theological sense, in that Jesus' sacrificial self-giving occurred at the very center of the world that he was saving. Theology apart, the tripartite model is far more useful for understanding Christian expansion, which occurred simultaneously into the three continents.

From this statement, Jenkins moves to argue that Christianity has ancient roots in Africa (and Asia as well), yet the Western church so often has not given adequate consideration to this fact. Rather, the African church is typically viewed as something very new, and the result of Western mission efforts from the modern mission movement. Could it be that the Christian faith has existed outside of Europe for 2,000 years? If so, what implications does this have on how the West is to view the non-Western world?

Jenkins also argues that the church in the South looks much different than the church in the West. Southern expressions of faith are "enthusiastic" and "spontaneous". They are more "fundamentalist" and "supernatural-oriented". Why is this? The main reason, as Jenkins points out, is that the West has, through the Enlightenment, come to see a distinction, a separation, between the sacred and the secular aspect of life. This divide is completely unheard of in the non-Western parts of the world, where the spiritual realm is seen as still very much in control of the natural world. As such, worship and faith have practical application to, and consequences on, all aspects of life.

And in these more "spirit-driven" cultures, as opposed to the West's "Enlightenment-driven" cultures, Scripture continues to have clear application to the problems so prominent in our modern day world--problems of oppression and poverty. Biblical accounts of exorcism and healing are not considered irrelevant, but are trusted as evidence of what continues to be possible today. Indeed, it is the appearance of healings and miraculous works in the church today that serves to draw unprecedented numbers of new converts.

I was inspired by Jenkins to work hard to change my actions, as well as my beliefs and perceptions. Having lived the past decade in close relationships with Africans, I have always viewed them as a brother--but as my little brother. I have thought of myself as the teacher, and them as the student. This mentality has to change. Not only our my African brothers my peers, but they also have MUCH to teach me! (less)

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Jan 27, 2011 Deana marked it as to-read

related source: http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2010/10/21/...

One of these fields of argument is being constructed primarily by historians, anthropologists, theologians, and popular Christian writers, and has taken shape around notions such as “world Christianity” and “global Christianity.” Those participating in this discussion hold that while Christianity has always been global in its ambitions and self-conceptions, there is something about its recent growth, particularly in the global South, that i...more related source: http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2010/10/21/...

One of these fields of argument is being constructed primarily by historians, anthropologists, theologians, and popular Christian writers, and has taken shape around notions such as “world Christianity” and “global Christianity.” Those participating in this discussion hold that while Christianity has always been global in its ambitions and self-conceptions, there is something about its recent growth, particularly in the global South, that is transforming it in important ways. The scholar who has had the most success in harnessing the energy of this conversation into a single coherent narrative is the historian Philip Jenkins. In his widely read book The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, Jenkins deploys a knack for making dramatic demographic arguments and an eye for the telling vignette to craft a story of Christianity as a religion whose greatest growth is still ahead of it. This growth will, however, not be in its traditional European heartland, but rather in the global South. Southern Christians tend, on Jenkins’s account, to be far more theologically and socially conservative than Northern Christians, and certainly more conservative than the kinds of liberal Christians who, until recently, have been so central to elite theological debate in the West. This means that as the center of Christianity moves South, so too will its dominant ideas and expressions become more conservative, leaving many Northern Christians to reckon with a kind of global marginality that they would never have predicted for themselves several decades ago. The current crisis in the Anglican communion over issues of homosexuality—a crisis in which conservative African Bishops are playing a key role—is taken by those who follow Jenkins to be paradigmatic of the kinds of strains that will beset Christianity more generally as its power centers move South. Those who contribute to the global Christianity discussion do not all agree with Jenkins in their reading of global Christianity’s origins, shape, and probable future course. Some scholars, for example, see a growing interest in social justice and a progressive politics emerging out of the rapid growth of Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity around the world—or, at least, they note the development of a set of positions that does not conform easily to a conservative/liberal frame. But all scholars who speak about global Christianity do see themselves as making important empirical claims about the changing nature of the contemporary faith.(less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: school-reading

“Christianity is never as weak as it appears, nor as strong as it appears” says Philip Jenkins as he ends this important book on global religious trends. Whatever might be the presence of religion in one’s life, the numbers cannot be ignored. Christianity has gone through its largest boom period in history over the last 100 years, and the pace is only quickening. Due to an often patronizing Eurocentric viewpoint, this fact is usually overlooked in the Northern Hemisphere. Most of the new Christi...more “Christianity is never as weak as it appears, nor as strong as it appears” says Philip Jenkins as he ends this important book on global religious trends. Whatever might be the presence of religion in one’s life, the numbers cannot be ignored. Christianity has gone through its largest boom period in history over the last 100 years, and the pace is only quickening. Due to an often patronizing Eurocentric viewpoint, this fact is usually overlooked in the Northern Hemisphere. Most of the new Christians reside in the global Southern Hemisphere, and Jenkins points out that that half of the world is experiencing a Christianity that is inconvenient and uncomfortable to the modern beliefs of Northerners.
This becomes a touchy subject as the very term “modernity” or “post-modernity” is called into question. “Modernity” according to whom? The increasingly smaller percentage of “enlightened” secularists or religious pluralists in the North? Or “modernity” as it relates to pure numbers of people? If we are looking at numbers alone, then Christianity and Islam HAVE to be understood and incorporated into any complete understanding of the world. Jenkins lays out the case that these trends are not going away, and that this century should see even greater growth in both religions than the last.
Jenkins does a decent job of staying as neutral as possible on a very passionate, charged topic, although his political conservatism does come through at times…as in the reasons for the existence of the Jewish state, and his downplaying of Islamic intolerance in the Western media. Where he is right on point is in his description of the “new” Southern Christianity looking nothing like what the North has experienced in recent decades. Parts of this new Christianity focus on the teachings of Jesus concerning oppression and poverty (in the North considered progressive socially), while remaining ultra-conservative on issues of gender and sexual orientation. There is undoubtedly multiple arguments to the effect that this trend cannot last when the “Southern Hemisphere gets more educated”, but there is a danger in looking down one’s nose through this line of thinking.
This book struck me in a number of ways. First, it was humbling. While I try to be as well-informed as possible, I realized how much I lacked empathy when it came to the reality of religion in the world. Second, I realized that my continuing quest to identify with a constantly changing world was to re-visit the teachings of my youth…even if I no longer subscribe to that religion (or any religion). If I am to relate to future generations of world citizens, I need to understand the various new forms of “Southern Hemisphere” Christianity just as much as I attempt to learn as much as possible about Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism. Re-visiting new ways of looking at old Christianity is just not trendy in Europe and North America. However, to ignore those forms of Christianity is to ignore what are the largest current forms of religion on the planet, and an incarnation of Christianity that is on an unbelievable upswing. No, religion is not disappearing anytime soon, as much as those in the West depict its demise. We can either learn more about how these others think, or slowly become more and more uninformed and ultimately out of touch by burying our head in the sand.(less)

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Aug 06, 2011 Christopher M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a book about Christianity through the eyes of the historian, the one who sees the trends, the ebs and flows, and forecasts how these will go. As such, here is what this book is not: it is not a theological work, separating the wheat from the chaff, defining true religion. But what it is, is a fascinating observation about the direction of Christianity, particularly in regard to its invasion of the global south. The idea of a desperately poor black or latino Pentacostal or Roman Catholic...more

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Nov 23, 2010 George Shubin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Philip Jenkins is not a futurist, but his book does make predictions about the Christian religion.

His view is that a shift in the "center of gravity" of the Christian Church is happening. What has been a religion dominated by the Global North is now shifting focus to the Global South, mainly Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Statistics, again and again makes for some dry reading, but the historical recap of Christianity is very interesting. We need to remember that Christianity has its roots in...more

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Sep 16, 2012 K. Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

It is hard to rate this book because it was a MUST READ and yet it was one of the most boring, hard to get through books I have ever forced myself to finish. Seriously important, seriously fascinating when it comes to concept, and absolutely necessary for anyone who is at all religiously-minded and concerned about the coming generation and century in terms of religious fervor. And yet it was so boring!!! I feel that Jenkins could have written one amazing essay, or series of essays, and it would...more

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May 13, 2011 Sunnyside1204 rated it 3 of 5 stars

History classes in the United States, it seems, tend to have a thematic flaw. They focus on the history of the West at the expense of the rest of the world. Besides learning some information about ancient civilizations like the Hebrews and Egyptians, history teaching generally takes a turn from the Greeks to the Romans to Europe, and finally, the United States. This happens in all types of history classes, including Church History. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity by Phili...more History classes in the United States, it seems, tend to have a thematic flaw. They focus on the history of the West at the expense of the rest of the world. Besides learning some information about ancient civilizations like the Hebrews and Egyptians, history teaching generally takes a turn from the Greeks to the Romans to Europe, and finally, the United States. This happens in all types of history classes, including Church History. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity by Philip Jenkins is a welcome oasis in the Church History desert.

Jenkins begins with a synopsis of how the Church is “going South;” in essence, returning to its non-Western roots and reversing Western notions that Christianity is dying. Much of the book is spent on this idea and on looking forward.

One section of the book contributes to a much greater understanding of the faces of Islam and Christianity, but it is limited in that many of the events in the Muslim world that have occurred in the past nine years since Jenkins wrote the book are taking a form “quite different from what anyone expected” (212). Christianity is taking a hold in many areas in the Muslim world, and despite persecution and fear of death, many are turning to Christ. Additionally, the surprising uprisings and desire for democracy in countries like Egypt, Syria and Libya (and the Iranian election protests in 2009), are creating fertile ground for Christian work and will doubtless have dramatic effects, the results of which are anybody’s guess.

The Next Christendom makes a great contribution in giving a readable, albeit brief, history of Christianity that extends far beyond the typical Western focus. It also confidently and unapologetically addresses the need for the Western Church to not only become aware of what God is doing in the South, but to dialogue with black and brown believers and allow them to influence us. Though there are certainly unorthodox and heretical teachings in many churches in the Global South, the steps away from the Scriptures and the allowing of immorality in many Northern churches are just as heretical. The ethnocentrism and arrogance of the Western Church must cease and books like The Next Christendom are a helpful step in this direction.(less)

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Nov 23, 2010 Johnny Brooks rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like reading the work of futurists and speculating alongside them about the coming events. Philip Jenkins is not a futurists, but his book The Next Christendom does make future predictions about the Christian religion.

His view is a shift in the religion from being ruled and dominated by the Global North to the South. Mainly Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Lots of numbers in the book. Recitation of statistics, again, again, and again. Makes for some dry reading.

However the historical recap of...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Roger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A difficult, challenging, and important book for all to read. The author specializes in analyzing demographic trends among people who say they are religious (or whose government says they are religious), especially those who are Christian. He bases much of his research on the standard reference work, the World Christian Encyclopedia (2001). His projections of the next 40 years are startling: the global South will outstrip the traditional seats of power in the North, so far as population goes; po...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While this book first came out around 10 years ago, Jenkins seems to have added quite a bit to the 2011 edition. He offers a clear and comprehensive look at the trends shaping Christianity on the different continents of the world, charting the explosions in Africa and Asia and the emergence of Protestantism (of both the evangelical and Pentecostal varieties) in Latin America along with the trends (of both growth and decline) in Europe and North America.

It's an excellent book and a fascinating lo...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

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Jul 29, 2011 Jeff rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a very enjoyable and informative book chronicling the shift in influence in the church from the north to the southern churches of Africa and South America. What sets this book apart in my mind, besides its readability, was its thorough examination and emphasis on the role of Pentecostalism in the explosion of the church in the third world, a development often ignored in such books. There is some focus on some of the excesses, but on the whole a very balanced examination of the phenomeno...more

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Sep 03, 2008 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religion-philosophy

provacative and engaging.

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Dec 05, 2011 Ian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: society, religion, politics, history, academia

A compelling corrective which demonstrates the ways in which modern Western claims (particularly by academics and secularists) about the impending "death" of Christianity are in fact based on ethnocentrism and cultural myopia. Such claims, as Jenkins demonstrates, fail to take into account the explosive growth of Christianity in Africa, Latin America and Asia over the last few decades -- growth which is generally ignored because it is occuring among peoples whom claimants (perhaps subconsciously...more

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Jul 22, 2008 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone interested in church history, the global church, or missions.

Recommended to Caroline by: Jean Nevills gave me Jenkins' Atlantic Monthly article.

Jenkins reports on the shift in the Christian "center", from the US and Europe at the beginning of the 1900s, to Africa, Asia and South American by the end of the century. It is a combination of recession in the Global North and growth in the Global South.

There has never been a recession as rapid as in Europe, even under the pressure of Islam after Mohammed. There has never been growth as rapid as in China (country) and Africa (continent). But these changes go unreported because they coincide wi...more

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Dec 25, 2010 Pamela Tucker rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a very boring book, but it has some vital information as far as statistics for population growing areas, so far stressed are the countries in Africa. The author uses the source World Christian Encyclopedia. I think the book I have is a little out dated. It seems the last statistics were taken in 2002. Any way it will make a good reference book with interesting information.

I still will enjoy reading this book.

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Oct 20, 2011 Zachames rated it 3 of 5 stars

There was was some really good, useful, and encouraging info in this book. However, Jenkins lumps anyone who puts on a cross necklace in with being a Christian. Many of the health and wealth congregations that Jenkins talked about in Africa and Asia probably don't exist by the time I'm writing this review. No substance. On the whole its a recommended read but with a discerning mind.

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Feb 23, 2009 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the most encouraging books I've ever read regarding church growth in our time. It really pulled one out of the US-centric mindset and captured visions of true global Christianity much more vividly and truly, I believe. ("...as the waters cover the sea...") Though I read it probably two years ago, it remains a favorite. Mind and soul expanding.

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May 04, 2012 Cliff rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book was pretty good in respect to looking into the future of Christianity. The author does give the title of Christian to those groups that do not hold to Orthodox belief. Cultural/ Nominal Christianity cannot be confused with the Christianity that Jesus has called His followers to live out. Over all a good book but it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

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Jan 27, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't able to read the entire thing. It was very interesting, but I found Jenkins said the same thing over and over again. The book was very stats-saturated which made it - at times - difficult to follow, but it in total, the book provided very eye-opening observations.

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May 28, 2010 Douglas Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-mission

Jenkins provides convincing evidence that the center of Christian influence in the world is shifting from the West and North to the East and South. The implications of this and other demographic trends are profoundly important for the Great Commission.

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Sep 12, 2012 Anna Beth marked it as to-read

My husband is reading this for both teaching a Sunday School on church history and for his general exams and told me that I should read it. So, here it is on my shelf! :-)

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Jan 13, 2012 Crossroads Ecc marked it as to-read

Christianity Today editors' description: The Penn State professor confronted North American Christians with the shocking truth that they were not the center of the universe.

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Dec 16, 2012 Ryan Linkous rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shows the changing demographic of the global church. I would suggest anyone going into ministry or biblical scholarship in the 21st century to read this book.

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May 03, 2010 Curtis rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great and expansive perspective on Global Southern Christianity as it looked at the turn of the millennium. Recommended for all Christians seeking to gain a better understanding of the status of the religion worldwide and possibly the future.

Quotes:

“If Northerners worry that Southern churches have compromised with traditional paganism, then Southerners accuse Americans and Europeans of selling out Christianity to neo-paganism, in the form of humanistic secular liberalism.” -p201

“Liberals judge...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Matthew Blanton added it

An absolutely breathtaking book. This information will make any Western believer finally aware that we are not the center of Christianity again. God is moving like never before in the majority world and it is past time that we realize that.

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About Philip Jenkins

Philip Jenkins was born in Wales in 1952. He was educated at Clare College, in the University of Cambridge, where he took a prestigious “Double First” degree—that is, Double First Class Honors. In 1978, he obtained his doctorate in history, also from Cambridge. Since 1980, he has taught at Penn State University, and currently holds the rank of Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of the Humanities. He is a...more Philip Jenkins was born in Wales in 1952. He was educated at Clare College, in the University of Cambridge, where he took a prestigious “Double First” degree—that is, Double First Class Honors. In 1978, he obtained his doctorate in history, also from Cambridge. Since 1980, he has taught at Penn State University, and currently holds the rank of Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of the Humanities. He is also a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion.

Though his original training was in early modern British history, he has since moved to studying a wide range of contemporary topics and issues, especially in the realm of religion.

Jenkins is a well-known commentator on religion, past and present. He has published 24 books, including The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South and God's Continent: Christianity, Islam and Europe's Religious Crisis (Oxford University Press). His latest books, published by HarperOne, are The Lost History of Christianity and Jesus Wars (2010).

His book The Next Christendom in particular won a number of honors. USA Today named it one of the top religion books of 2002; and Christianity Today described The Next Christendom as a “contemporary classic.” An essay based on this book appeared as a cover story in the Atlantic Monthly in October 2002, and this article was much reprinted in North America and around the world, appearing in German, Swiss, and Italian magazines.

His other books have also been consistently well received. Writing in Foreign Affairs in 2003, Sir Lawrence Freedman said Jenkins's Images of Terror was “a brilliant, uncomfortable book, its impact heightened by clear, restrained writing and a stunning range of examples.”

Jenkins has spoken frequently on these diverse themes. Since 2002, he has delivered approximately eighty public lectures just on the theme of global Christianity, and has given numerous presentations on other topics. He has published articles and op-ed pieces in many media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, New Republic, Foreign Policy, First Things, and Christian Century. In the European media, his work has appeared in the Guardian, Rheinischer Merkur, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Welt am Sonntag, and the Kommersant (Moscow). He is often quoted in news stories on religious issues, including global Christianity, as well as on the subject of conflicts within the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, and controversies concerning cults and new religious movements. The Economist has called him “one of America's best scholars of religion.”

Over the last decade, Jenkins has participated in several hundred interviews with the mass media, newspapers, radio, and television. He has been interviewed on Fox's The Beltway Boys, and has appeared on a number of CNN documentaries and news specials covering a variety of topics, including the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, as well as serial murder and aspects of violent crime. The 2003 television documentary Battle for Souls (Discovery Times Channel) was largely inspired by his work on global Christianity. He also appeared on the History Channel special, Time Machine: 70s Fever (2009).

Jenkins is much heard on talk radio, including multiple appearances on NPR's All Things Considered, and on various BBC and RTE programs. In North America, he has been a guest on the widely syndicated radio programs of Diane Rehm, Michael Medved, and James Kennedy; he has appeared on NPR’s Fresh Air, as well as the nationally broadcast Canadian shows Tapestry and Ideas. His media appearances include newspapers and radio stations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Brazil, as well as in many different regions of the United States.

Because of its relevance to policy issues, Jenkins's work has attracted the attention of gove(less)

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Books by Philip Jenkins

Jesus Wars: How Four Patriarchs, Three Queens, and Two Emperors Decided What Christians Would Believe for the Next 1,500 years

The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South

The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice

Decade of Nightmares: The End of the Sixties and the Making of Eighties America

Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History

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