The World's Christians (2^nd Ed.) Who They Are, Where They Are, and How They Got There

This accessible textbook describes Christianity, the world's largest religion, in all of its historical and contemporary diversity. No other publication includes so much information or presents it so clearly and winsomely. This volume employs a "religious studies" approach that is neutral in tone yet accommodates the lived experiences of Christians in different traditions and from all regions of the globe. The World's Christians is a perfect textbook for either public university classrooms or liberal arts campuses.

Divided into three parts, the text first describes the world's four largest Christian traditions (Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Pentecostal) which together account for roughly 98 percent of all Christians worldwide. A second section focuses on Christian history, explaining the movement's developing ideas and practices and examining Christianity's engagement with people and cultures around the world. The third and longest portion of the text details the distinctive experiences, contemporary challenges, and demographics of Christians in nine geographic regions, including the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe, South Asia, North America, East Asia, and Oceania.

The second edition of this popular text has been thoroughly rewritten to take recent developments into account, and each chapter now includes two primary source readings, highlighting the diversity of voices that exist within the world Christian movement. Like the first edition, the revised text is enhanced with easily understandable maps, charts, tables and illustrative photographs. In summary, this new and improved second edition of The World's Christians is:

• written in a clear style that readers will find engaging
• enriched by the addition of thought-provoking primary source readings
• thoroughly revised to bring the story of Christianity up to the 2020s
• more geographically comprehensive than any competing text
• more theologically/ecclesiastically comprehensive than any competing text
• amply illustrated with maps, charts, tables, and photographs
• perfect for use in the classroom or for general readers who want to understand the full diversity of Christianity as it currently exists around the world

List of Illustrations xi

Voices of World Christianity xix

Introduction to World Christianity xxi

Part I Who They Are: F our Christian Mega-Traditions

Introduction 1

What Christians Hold in Common 1

Christian Traditions 4

1 The Orthodox Tradition 7

Spirituality 7

Salvation 11

Structure 13

Story 14

Notes 19

Suggestions for Further Reading 19

2 The Catholic Tradition 21

Spirituality 21

Salvation 25

Structure 28

Story 30

Notes 33

Suggestions for Further Reading 34

3 The Protestant Tradition 35

Spirituality 36

Salvation 38

Structure 41

Story 44

Note 47

Suggestions for Further Reading 47

4 The Pentecostal Tradition 49

Spirituality 50

Salvation 54

Structure 56

Story 59

Notes 60

Suggestions for Further Reading 60

Part II How They Got There: A Glob al History of Christianity

Introduction 63

Christianity’s Pre-History and Relationship with Judaism 63

Christian History and Globalizations 65

5 The Ancient Tradition 67

Convictions 68

Encounters 77

Notes 91

Suggestions for Further Reading 91

6 The Great Division and the Age of the East 93

Convictions 95

Encounters 102

Notes 117

Suggestions for Further Reading 118

7 The Rise of the West and Decline of the East 119

Convictions 120

Encounters 131

Notes 143

Suggestions for Further Reading 143

8 Christianity in a Global Era 145

Convictions 146

Encounters 156

Notes 172

Suggestions for Further Reading 172

Part III Where They Are: Chris tianity in Nine World Regions

Introduction 175

Immigrants, Missionaries, and the Changing Shape of World Christianity 175

Mapping World Christianity 177

9 The Middle East and North Africa 181

Description of the Region 183

Christian Profile 186

Faith and Ethnicity 188

Weariness and Decline 189

Spirituality and Survival in Egypt 191

Turkey and Armenia 193

Israel and the Palestinian Territories 195

Hope? 197

Notes 198

Suggestions for Further Reading 199

10 Eastern Europe 201

Description of the Region 201

Current Christian Profile 202

The Crucible of Communism 205

The Balkans: Blending Ethnicity and Faith 206

Catholic Central Europe 209

Orthodoxy in the Russian Sphere of Influence 214

Notes 221

Suggestions for Further Reading 221

11 Central and South Asia 223

Description of the Region 224

Christian Profile 225

Overview of Christianity in South Asia 228

Religion and Nation-Building in India 231

The Varieties of Indian Christianity 234

Christianity and Dalits 239

Jesus, Christianity, and Indian Culture 240

Notes 241

Suggestions for Further Reading 242

12 Western Europe 243

Description of the Region 244

Christian Profile 246

Catholic Western Europe 249

Scandinavia’s Protestant Turf 255

Religiously Mixed Western Europe 256

Notes 263

Suggestions for Further Reading 263

13 Sub-Saharan Africa 265

Description of the Region 266

Christian Profile 268

The Crucible of Colonization 270

The Postcolonial Era 272

Challenges 274

Nigeria: Christianity, Islam, and the Evangelization of the World 277

Church and Politics in South Africa 279

Ethiopia: The Last Christian Empire 281

Notes 283

Suggestions for Further Reading 284

14 East Asia 285

Description of the Region 286

Christian Profile 290

Asian Spirituality and Christian Faith 290

Faith and Politics in the Philippines 292

Christianity’s Changing Public Image in South Korea 295

Indonesia: Politics and Religion in Changing Times 297

The Complexities of Christianity in China 299

Notes 304

Suggestions for Further Reading 305

15 Latin America 307

Description of Region 307

Christian Profile 309

A Complex History of Church, State, and Economy 310

Popular Catholicism: The Importance of Mary 313

Non-Catholic (Evangélico) Christianity 317

Pentecostalism and Catholic Renewal 318

The New Religious Economy in Brazil 319

Holding the Line in Mexico 321

The Caribbean Difference 324

Notes 326

Suggestions for Further Reading 326

16 North America 327

Description of the Region 328

Christian Profile 329

Denominationalism: The Protestant Diversity that Freedom Produced 331

Simplifying Protestant Diversity: Mainline and Evangelical 333

Historically Black Churches 337

The Fuzzy Boundaries of Pentecostalism 340

Catholicism in Transition 342

Orthodoxy in the United States 344

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 346

Notes 347

Suggestions for Further Reading 347

17 Oceania 349

Description of the Region 350

Christian Profile 352

A Complex Conversion History 352

Mapping the Pacific: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia 354

Religion, Ethnicity, and Politics in Fiji 357

Christianity and the Relaxed Spirituality of Australia 359

Notes 365

Suggestions for Further Reading 366

Appendix: Counting Christians 367

Index 369

DOUGLAS JACOBSEN (Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO) is Co-Director of the Religion in the Academy Project and Distinguished Professor of Church History and Theology at Messiah University (Pennsylvania, USA). He is the award-winning author of a dozen books on a wide range of topics related to religion.