“The Christian Revolution”

1. “The Christian Revolution” Philip Jenkins, Ch. 46, pp. 379-386

2. The Transformation of Christianity • Christianity, long identified as religion of West or Global North, of white nations, of "the haves," is declining in North America/Europe, but expanding in the Global South

3. The New Face of Christianity • The typical contemporary Christian is in a Nigerian village or Brazilian favela(shantytown or slum) • Many of fastest-growing countries in world are predominantly Christian or have very sizeable Christian minorities • Traditionally Christian states in the West/North have declining birthrates • Extrapolating statistics to the year 2025, there would be about 2.6 billion Christians, of whom 633 mil would live in Africa, 640 mil in Latin America, and 460 mil in Asia • Europe, with 555 mil, would slip to third place • Africa and Latin America will together account for half of the Christians in the world

4. ANew Christian Synthesis? • A new synthesis, uniting Christians in the Global South with those in the West/North, is unlikely, considering the critical differences between their social bases • Future members of Southern dominated church are likely to be poorer, leading some Western Christians to expect a growth in liberation theology • liberation theology: fervently liberal, activist & revolutionary vision of Christianity that looks to “liberate” the poor through political action, it grew enormously in Brazil in the 1960s • Southern Christians are far more conservative

5. Christianity in Global South vs. North (Europe & North America) • Southern Christians are far more Conservative in terms of belief and moral teaching • Roman Catholics, of a traditionalist kind, radical Protestant sects, evangelical or Pentecostal • Strong supernatural orientation…more interested in personal salvation than radical politics • Adapting Christian belief to local traditions, groups have titles like "African indigenous churches" • Newer churches preach deep personal faith and communal orthodoxy, mysticism and Puritanism, all founded on clear scriptural authority • Preach visions that seem simplistically charismatic, visionary and apocalyptic • In this thought world, prophecy is an everyday reality • It has much in common with those of medieval or early modern European times

6. Researchers have missed these trends, too focused on political movements like fascism & communism • Meanwhile, Pentecostalism is flourishing, and may be considered the most successful social movement of the past century • Pentecostalism and related charismatic movements represent one of the fastest-growing segments of global Christianity. At least a quarter of the world's 2 billion Christians are thought to be members of these lively, highly personal faiths, which emphasize such spiritually renewing "gifts of the Holy Spirit" as speaking in tongues, divine healing and prophesying. Even more than other Christians, Pentecostals and other renewalists believe that God, acting through the Holy Spirit, continues to play a direct, active role in everyday life. • And there are even more Catholics than Pentecostals

7. Medieval Parallels – A New Christendom? • Medieval Europe was considered an age of faith, passionate spirituality, based on unity that transcended kingdoms or empires • Laws of nations lasted only as long as nations themselves, while Christendom offered a higher set of standards, which alone could claim universality • Christianity was a primary form of cultural reference

8. Ultimately, Christianity collapsed in the face of secular nationalism • A connection between religion and political order was no longer assumed

9. By 21st century, the nation-state, the whole Westphalian system, came under challenge • Technology played a key role • In Europe, loyalty to nation is being replaced by identification with larger entities (Europe) or smaller (regions or ethnic groups) • Decline of states in face of globalization has parallels with the cosmopolitan world of the Middle Ages, leading some to expect the emergence of some supranational movement or ideology

10. Christianity in context -- different meanings of Christianity in Global South vs. North • Globalization may not signal American imperialism but a new Christendom, based in the global South • Although Latin America and Africa are separated geographically and differ in terms of institutional structures, both confront similar colonial legacies, fundamentally separating the experiences of Northern and Southern churches • Christians in the South read the Bible in a way that makes Christianity look like a wholly different religion from the faith of prosperous advanced countries of Europe and North America • Responding to wholly different social conditions, Christians in the global South are comfortable with biblical notions of the supernatural and prophecy – and with martyrdom, oppression and exile • The meaning of the text is shaped by social context