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World Christianity: A Historical and Theological Introduction
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 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.
"Lalsangkima Pachuau offers us a brilliant overview of the promise of historically and theologically researching and exploring Christianity as a global religion." - Jayakiran Sebastian, United Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg, PA.
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.
"Lalsangkima Pachuau offers us a brilliant overview of the promise of historically and theologically researching and exploring Christianity as a global religion." - Jayakiran Sebastian, United Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg, PA.
266 pages, Paperback
Published June 7, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 6, 2022
I read this book for my Global History of Christianity course under Dr. Susangeline Patrick at Nazarene Theological Seminary. Here is the book review I wrote for class:
In this book, Pachuau seeks to paint a broad-stroke picture of world Christianity: what it refers to, what its roots are, and its trajectory, particularly over the last century. While his intent is to give an overview of recent Christian developments outside of the West, he acknowledges that this book will continually engage with the viewpoint of the West in order to contrast it with other Christian contexts. Given that his readers are primarily Western Christians, and his education took place in a Western context, he feels this to be the approach most appropriate to his task as author. Pachuau describes that the flourishing of Christianity globally was an unexpected twentieth-century event that occurred as colonial power was cast off and the flow of Western missionaries slowed. Because of the rapid growth of Christians in the majority world and the lessening of Western theological influence, indigenous theologians, clergy, and lay persons alike began to construct localized theologies that interacted with their own cultural situations. In tandem with this, theologians and missionaries began rethinking their approach and new ideas emerged. Pachuau sees the most significant of these to be the framework of “contextualization,” which broadly understands the work of missions as an effort to relate the gospel to a given culture by engaging with the local context. The examples he cited throughout the book were frequently variations of liberation theology, at a more academic level, and Pentecostal Evangelicalism, at a more grassroots level—although neither is exclusive to that demographic. Throughout the book, Pachuau spent a good deal of space on definitions, explaining the complexities of terms like “Global Christianity,” “Third World,” “inculturation,” “indigenization,” “contextualization,” etc., displaying that the terminology that various Christian groups have employed over time have been reflections of their approaches to evangelism and Christian practice.
Overall, I found the book to accomplish its stated goal and feel I have come away with a clearer understanding of the origins and present state of world Christianity. At times, Pachuau dealt with statistics, numbers, and definitions to a degree that felt mechanical, but they did serve to illustrate the trends of Christian growth he sought to highlight. While reading, I found myself gently surprised that liberation theology of varying flavors has arisen so uniformly in the contexts of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. I would be curious to ask Pachuau if he believes this to be a trend that will continue for some time into the future or if he believes another theological movement will sweep in to new dominance. I suspect it will have significant influence for a while given the universality of human bondage and suffering. I would also like to hear him discuss further what he believes the role of historic Western theology is today. Should it dwindle away, only be communicated to Western contexts, and/or continue in dialogue with other global theologies?
In this book, Pachuau seeks to paint a broad-stroke picture of world Christianity: what it refers to, what its roots are, and its trajectory, particularly over the last century. While his intent is to give an overview of recent Christian developments outside of the West, he acknowledges that this book will continually engage with the viewpoint of the West in order to contrast it with other Christian contexts. Given that his readers are primarily Western Christians, and his education took place in a Western context, he feels this to be the approach most appropriate to his task as author. Pachuau describes that the flourishing of Christianity globally was an unexpected twentieth-century event that occurred as colonial power was cast off and the flow of Western missionaries slowed. Because of the rapid growth of Christians in the majority world and the lessening of Western theological influence, indigenous theologians, clergy, and lay persons alike began to construct localized theologies that interacted with their own cultural situations. In tandem with this, theologians and missionaries began rethinking their approach and new ideas emerged. Pachuau sees the most significant of these to be the framework of “contextualization,” which broadly understands the work of missions as an effort to relate the gospel to a given culture by engaging with the local context. The examples he cited throughout the book were frequently variations of liberation theology, at a more academic level, and Pentecostal Evangelicalism, at a more grassroots level—although neither is exclusive to that demographic. Throughout the book, Pachuau spent a good deal of space on definitions, explaining the complexities of terms like “Global Christianity,” “Third World,” “inculturation,” “indigenization,” “contextualization,” etc., displaying that the terminology that various Christian groups have employed over time have been reflections of their approaches to evangelism and Christian practice.
Overall, I found the book to accomplish its stated goal and feel I have come away with a clearer understanding of the origins and present state of world Christianity. At times, Pachuau dealt with statistics, numbers, and definitions to a degree that felt mechanical, but they did serve to illustrate the trends of Christian growth he sought to highlight. While reading, I found myself gently surprised that liberation theology of varying flavors has arisen so uniformly in the contexts of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. I would be curious to ask Pachuau if he believes this to be a trend that will continue for some time into the future or if he believes another theological movement will sweep in to new dominance. I suspect it will have significant influence for a while given the universality of human bondage and suffering. I would also like to hear him discuss further what he believes the role of historic Western theology is today. Should it dwindle away, only be communicated to Western contexts, and/or continue in dialogue with other global theologies?
November 2, 2023
This book is due back at the library and is non-renewable, so I am reviewing it out of order. Truthfully though, I don't have a lot to say. I was expecting something quite a bit different.
Lalsangkima Pachua approaches the topic of world Christianity as a scholar, a historian, a sociologist, and a theologian. He wants to give his reader a sense of what is meant by the phrase "world Christianity," or even what someone might mean when they discuss Christianity as a global religion. However, he does this descriptive and analytic work with such a dry, academic tone, that the purported differences between schools of thought barely register.
Outside of understanding the concept of world Christianity, Pachua also explores how Christianity has been contextualized in various countries, regions, and continents. These descriptions feel like 30,000 foot level flyovers; at less than 200 pages, with an entire globe to cover, nothing goes in depth. In addition, the footnotes are extensive. At some level, this felt less like an historical or theological introduction to missiology or global Christianity, and more like a literature review. Pachua seems intent on citing the most influential thinkers and chroniclers of world Christianity at the highest of levels. His own thoughts or ideas are less evident.
I was hoping for something a little more engaging and personalized. I think I was envisioning something more like Miriam Adeney's Kingdom Without Borders, with its stories of Christianity as it is lived and expressed around the world. Or maybe I expected a current affairs blog with timely essays on the politics and conflicts around religious freedom. Instead, I got the worst of both worlds: Historical surveys and academic naval gazing.
Not my thing.
Lalsangkima Pachua approaches the topic of world Christianity as a scholar, a historian, a sociologist, and a theologian. He wants to give his reader a sense of what is meant by the phrase "world Christianity," or even what someone might mean when they discuss Christianity as a global religion. However, he does this descriptive and analytic work with such a dry, academic tone, that the purported differences between schools of thought barely register.
Outside of understanding the concept of world Christianity, Pachua also explores how Christianity has been contextualized in various countries, regions, and continents. These descriptions feel like 30,000 foot level flyovers; at less than 200 pages, with an entire globe to cover, nothing goes in depth. In addition, the footnotes are extensive. At some level, this felt less like an historical or theological introduction to missiology or global Christianity, and more like a literature review. Pachua seems intent on citing the most influential thinkers and chroniclers of world Christianity at the highest of levels. His own thoughts or ideas are less evident.
I was hoping for something a little more engaging and personalized. I think I was envisioning something more like Miriam Adeney's Kingdom Without Borders, with its stories of Christianity as it is lived and expressed around the world. Or maybe I expected a current affairs blog with timely essays on the politics and conflicts around religious freedom. Instead, I got the worst of both worlds: Historical surveys and academic naval gazing.
Not my thing.
October 22, 2019
An important, up-to-date overview of World Christianity. Lalsangkima Pachuau, himself a praiseworthy Mizo Indian scholar in Asbury Seminary, provides an amazing description of what the study of World Christianity is, respecting traditions as different as the Catholic and Pentecostal churches from the Pacific islands to southern India. He does not neglect the Pentecostal-charismatic churches, and in fact dignifies them as a diverse, thriving, global indigenous counter to rationalist, Western secularism.
For me, two chapters, “Modernization, Modern Missions, and World Christianity” and “Contextual Theologies in the Majority World” were of particular interest. The whole book challenges an outdated theological approach widely utilized in Western seminaries. An eye-opener for the Christian with a heart for the universal church.
For me, two chapters, “Modernization, Modern Missions, and World Christianity” and “Contextual Theologies in the Majority World” were of particular interest. The whole book challenges an outdated theological approach widely utilized in Western seminaries. An eye-opener for the Christian with a heart for the universal church.
November 25, 2024
Really fascinating topic. Excited to discuss this with Dr. Timothy Tennent in January.
January 7, 2026
Although I appreciate Pachau’s thought to think in terms of Christianity as World Christianity, not a western to global south phenomenon but a global, multi cultural and multi centered movement, I found most of the content outside of the main point unorganized and confusing. If he and others want this thesis to catch on, better packaging and messaging is needed.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews