Portraits of Global Christianity

Book excerpt: Living in Light of the Global Body of Christ Books on global Christianity have been growing substantially in the last ten years. The importance of studying Christianity beyond White Western history and theology has taken on a special relevance in an increasingly globalized world. The study of Global Christianity is about recognizing the diversity of Christians around the world in terms of their cultures, languages, ethnicities, worldviews, and approaches to the faith. World Christianity is about making global-local connections and providing Christians the opportunity to learn from one another to enhance their faith and broaden their perspectives. Most World Christianity books are written for scholarly audiences only. However, Portraits of Global Christianity moves beyond that sphere and into the lives of Christians who have learned about and continue to experience the global church in their everyday lives. No other global Christianity book on the market provides this kind of self-understanding on the relationship between World Christianity and individual experience. In doing, it aims to make a unique contribution to the field. This book is geared toward a general Christian audience and is written in an accessible style with attractive full-color charts, maps, and graphs to make quantitative data on Christianity and other religions come alive. The reflections and essays in this book in honor of Todd M. Johnson provide readers with concrete examples of how knowledge and experience of Christianity worldwide has fundamentally changed their worldviews, perspectives of the faith, and vocational callings. It encourages readers to reflect on their attitudes toward people who do not look like them or live out the faith like them, to more seriously consider the growth of Christianity in the global South and its impact on their own lives, and seek opportunities to reach across ethnic, class, and gender boundaries for the sake of Christian hospitality, discipleship, and friendship.