History Of The World Christian Movement

This thorough, lucid, solidly researched book, the first of two volumes, charts the history of global Christianity.

History of the World Christian Movement shows that from the beginning Christianity has been a world religion, informed and shaped through the interplay of gospel and culture church and world.

Beginning with the missionary expansion of the 15th century, this story goes on to trace the fracturing of the Christian movement among Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant versions; the impact of modern colonialism and the emergence of a new global reality; the wars of religion, the impact of the Enlightenment, the rise of Christianity in North America, and the modern missionary movement.

This book is a multi-faceted collection of readings focused on the biblical, historical, cultural, and strategic dimensions of the task of world evangelization. The editors have pooled the contributions of over 70 authors to provide laymen and college students with an introduction to the history and potential of the World Christian Movement, a movement of men and women who have responded with courage and conviction to the challenges of this task. - Back cover.

Through the advice of many scholars of Christian origins the selections here include texts that show students how Christianity developed and was lived in Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean. These texts show Christian life beyond the confines of Byzantine and Western Christendom as Christians enter the Mongol and Chinese courts, struggle to cope with Islam, and continue to live in places such as Ethiopia and Egypt. Designed for the classroom Readings in World Christian History highlights the variety of Christianities that grew out of the Palestinian Jesus Movement of the first century.

The Stone-Campbell Movement: A Global History tells the story of Christians from around the globe and across time who have sought to witness faithfully to the gospel of reconciliation. Transcending theological differences by drawing from all the major streams of the movement, this foundational book documents the movement's humble beginnings on the American frontier and growth into international churches of the twenty-first century.

Sharing the Good News might be understood as the prime directive of the Church from its earliest times, but the Church soon discovered unforeseen obstacles and its own set of temptations, including its lust for power and domination. Although the gospel might be joyfully offered, it was not always received in the same spirit. And the Church was not always gracious with dissent and criticism. Even so, the Church continues to reach out to the least, the last, and the lost—attempting to bring them into the family of God. But for mission to be effective today, it must take advantage of indigenous resources and recognize its limitations as well as its gifts. This book broadly introduces prominent missionary practices and major historical figures using three perspectives. First, it takes into account the missionary activity proceeding from the margins rather than only discussing the center of theological and ecclesial activity. Second, it narrates the cross-cultural, cross-confessional, and cross-religious dynamics that characterize Christian missionary activity. And third, it emphasizes that much missionary activity is generated by national rather than international missionaries. The text concludes with a chapter on the postmodern and postcolonial world.