Jesus Creed

Jesus Creed

New Series: World Christianity

posted by Scot McKnight | 1:00pm Sunday May 31, 2009

Noll.jpgMark Noll, professor at Notre Dame and America’s foremost church historian (or at least close), has a new book called The New Shape of World Christianity: How American Experience Reflects Global Faith and I want to begin a series on it next Monday, June 8th.

Here are two tastes of what Noll’s new book will argue:

“But today — when active Christian adherence has become stronger in Africa than in Europe, when the number of practicing Christians in China may be approaching the number in the United States, when live bodies in church are far more numerous in Kenya than in Canada, when more believers worship together in church Sunday by Sunday in Nagaland than in Norway, when India is now home to the world’s largest chapter of the Roman Catholic Jesuit order, and when Catholic mass is being said in more languages each Sunday in the United States than ever before in American history — with such realities defining the present situation, there is a pressing need for new historical perspectives that explore the new world situation” (10; my italics).

“The book’s major argument is that Christianity in its American form has indeed become very important for the world. But it has become important, not primarily because of direct influence. Rather, the key is how American Christianity was itself transformed when Europeans carried their faith across the Atlantic. The American model rather than American manipulation is the key. … I am suggesting that how Americans have come to practice the Christian faith is just as important globally as what Americans have done” (11-12).

<!–
document.write('TwitThis‘);
//–>



Leave a Comment ยป
Related Topics: Church History
beliefnet
  list archives most recent most popular  
beliefnet
Previous Posts

This blog is no longer active
This blog is no longer being actively updated. Please feel free to browse the archives or: Read our most popular inspiration blog See our most popular inspirational video Take our most popular quiz

posted 3:10:39pm Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Our Common Prayerbook 30 - 3
Psalm 30 thanks God (vv. 1-3, 11-12) and exhorts others to thank God (vv. 4-5). Both emerge from the concrete reality of David's own experience. Here is what that experience looks like:Step one: David was set on high and was flourishing at the hand of God's bounty (v. 7a).Step two: David became too

posted 12:15:30pm Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Theology After Darwin 1 (RJS)
One of the more important and more difficult pieces of the puzzle as we feel our way forward at the interface of science and faith is the theological implications of discoveries in modern science. A comment on my post Evolution in the Key of D: Deity or Deism noted: ...this reminds me of why I get a

posted 6:01:52am Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Almost Christian 4
Who does well when it comes to passing on the faith to the youth? Studies show two groups do really well: conservative Protestants and Mormons; two groups that don't do well are mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics. Kenda Dean's new book is called Almost Christian: What the Faith of Ou

posted 12:01:53am Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Let's Get Neanderthal!
The Cave Man Diet, or Paleo Diet, is getting attention. (Nothing is said about Culver's at all.) The big omission, I have to admit, is that those folks were hunters -- using spears or smacking some rabbit upside the conk or grabbing a fish or two with their hands ... but that's what makes this diet

posted 2:05:48pm Aug. 30, 2010 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments read comments(6)
post a comment
Jim

posted May 31, 2009 at 1:14 pm


Scott,
reading that together with Philip Jenkins, The New Faces of Christianity, etc. would be a facinating summer school class. I’m sure many of us would emerge at the end of the summer with a very different worldview on the Church worldwide. Looking forward to your comments in the coming weeks.



report abuse
 

Ed

posted May 31, 2009 at 5:49 pm


Just finishing “Theology in the Context of World Christianity” by Timothy Tennent (the president-elect of Asbury Theological Seminary). I am looking forward to this series.



report abuse
 

Kyle

posted May 31, 2009 at 6:29 pm


I’ll try to procure a copy before the discussion begins. I definitely want in on this conversation.



report abuse
 

josenmiami

posted May 31, 2009 at 10:19 pm


and does he define what constitutes “Christianity in the American Form”?
When he refers to American-style Christianity is he talking about religious pluralism or is he talking about the religious “free market”.



report abuse
 

Mike M

posted June 1, 2009 at 1:46 am


Is Noll now RC?
“Scandal” is definitely one of the most important Christian books ever so is this new book a follow-up?
I like this the most: “The American model rather than American manipulation is the key” which is true in politics as well as in religion.



report abuse
 

Don Bryant

posted June 1, 2009 at 5:46 am


Thanks for the posts. I trust your site to keep me up on what’s bubbling up in evangelicalism and what I need to give attention to and further research. Your work is appreciated.



report abuse
 

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.

Share this story

Related Topics: Church History
beliefnet
  list archives most recent most popular  
beliefnet

About Beliefnet

Our mission is to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness. More about Beliefnet.

Help

Media Kit

Subscribe

Legal

Copyright © Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors. All rights reserved. Use of this site is subject to Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy. Constructed by Beliefnet.

Advertisement

Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.