The Next Christendom
THE NEXT CHRISTENDOM
BY PHILIP JENKINS
A SUMMARY AND RESPONSE
Kyle Sutton
Engaging Reformation and Modern Christianity CH503-XD
December 16, 2011
In the preface, Dr. Philip Jenkins clearly states his thesis for The Next Christendom, “Far from being an export of the capitalist West, a vestige of Euro-American imperialism, Christianity is now rooted in the Third World, and the religion’s future lies in the global South”.[1] The distinctions of global North and global South describe the groupings of Europe, North American, and Japan (global North) and Asia, Africa, and Latin America (global South). [2] This ten chapter book can be divided into two major sections. In the first five chapters, Jenkins traces the historical growth of Christianity in the global South to its current relative boom status. Jenkins provides a short history of Western Christianity, noting that it found its Western foundation during the post-Constantine days of Rome, and soon after fused with European culture. Jenkins does give a nod to the fact that, in the beginning, Christianity was a new faith that was a blend of both Jewish and Greek expressions. The gospel spread throughout the Roman provinces east to China and India, north and west to Europe, and south to Africa. Although there was a multi-continent spread of Christianity, Jenkins points out that “Christianity for its first thousand years was stronger in Asia and North Africa than in Europe and only after about 1400 did Europe (and Europeanized North America) decisively become the new Christian heartland.”[3] Tensions between Western Christianity and Middle Eastern Islam have long been central to many world issues. Philip Jenkins believes tensions are high due to globalization. Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. What was once a disconnected existence, separated by oceans, is now merging borders by the manifold methods by which we now interact
BY PHILIP JENKINS
A SUMMARY AND RESPONSE
Kyle Sutton
Engaging Reformation and Modern Christianity CH503-XD
December 16, 2011
In the preface, Dr. Philip Jenkins clearly states his thesis for The Next Christendom, “Far from being an export of the capitalist West, a vestige of Euro-American imperialism, Christianity is now rooted in the Third World, and the religion’s future lies in the global South”.[1] The distinctions of global North and global South describe the groupings of Europe, North American, and Japan (global North) and Asia, Africa, and Latin America (global South). [2] This ten chapter book can be divided into two major sections. In the first five chapters, Jenkins traces the historical growth of Christianity in the global South to its current relative boom status. Jenkins provides a short history of Western Christianity, noting that it found its Western foundation during the post-Constantine days of Rome, and soon after fused with European culture. Jenkins does give a nod to the fact that, in the beginning, Christianity was a new faith that was a blend of both Jewish and Greek expressions. The gospel spread throughout the Roman provinces east to China and India, north and west to Europe, and south to Africa. Although there was a multi-continent spread of Christianity, Jenkins points out that “Christianity for its first thousand years was stronger in Asia and North Africa than in Europe and only after about 1400 did Europe (and Europeanized North America) decisively become the new Christian heartland.”[3] Tensions between Western Christianity and Middle Eastern Islam have long been central to many world issues. Philip Jenkins believes tensions are high due to globalization. Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. What was once a disconnected existence, separated by oceans, is now merging borders by the manifold methods by which we now interact
References: Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom : The Coming of Global Christianity. Rev. and expanded ed. The Future of Christianity Trilogy. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.