Evangelical Christianity shifting outside West

Religion news ^ | Feb 21st, 2006

[laney]

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See this? Advertise here! Evangelical Christianity, born in England and nurtured in the United States, is leaving home.

Most evangelicals now live in China, South Korea, India, Africa and Latin America, where they are transforming their religion. In various ways, they are making evangelical Christianity at once more conservative and more liberal. They are infusing it with local traditions and practices. And they are even sending "reverse missionaries" to Europe and the United States.

In 1960, there were an estimated 50 million evangelical Christians in the West, and 25 million in the rest of the world; today, there are an estimated 75 million in the West, and 325 million in the rest of the world (representing about 20 percent of the two billion Christians worldwide), according to Robert Kilgore, chairman of the board of the missionary organization Christar.

Other experts differ on the number of evangelicals (estimates range from 250 million to nearly one billion) but agree that the number is growing rapidly.

"As the vibrancy of evangelicalism seems to have waned somewhat in the West, many in the non-West are ready to pick up the banner and move forward," said Kilgore, a former missionary who is now associate provost at Philadelphia Biblical University. "Most Americans have no idea how big the shift has been."

Todd M. Johnson, director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, writes that "Africans, Asians and Latin Americans are more typical representatives of evangelicalism than Americans or Europeans."

The new evangelicals are more exuberant in their worship services; put more faith in spiritual healing, prophecy and visions; and read the Bible more literally than many of their Western cousins.

And many of the new evangelicals are on the fault lines of global unrest, where cultures and religions collide. Christianity and Islam are often competitors in these developing countries, and some scholars, such as Philip Jenkins of Pennsylvania State University, see the possibility there for cataclysmic conflict.

"A worst-case scenario would include a wave of religious conflicts reminiscent of the Middle Ages, a new age of Christian crusades and Muslim jihads," Jenkins writes in his book, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. "Imagine the world of the 13th century armed with nuclear warheads and anthrax."

Others think such dire scenarios are far-fetched but see decades of friction ahead as Christianity and Islam compete, especially in Africa and Asia.

Evangelicals are among the fastest-growing segments of Christianity. Their global numbers are increasing at about 4.7 percent a year, according to Operation World, a Christian statistical compendium.

By comparison, the rate of growth for all Protestants is put at 2.2 percent a year, and for Roman Catholics at 0.5 percent a year. The world's population is growing at about 1.4 percent a year.

Broadly defined, evangelicals are Christians who have had a personal or "born-again" religious conversion, believe that the Bible is the word of God, and believe in spreading their faith. (The term comes from Greek; to "evangelize" means to preach the gospel.) The term is typically applied to Protestants.

American evangelicals have gotten most of the public attention because they're in the center of the media universe and because they played a pivotal political role in the 2004 U.S. election. But American evangelicals are a distinct minority, and their beliefs and practices are often significantly different from those of evangelicals elsewhere.

In Africa, some evangelicals practice polygamy. In China, some revere their ancestors. In South Korea, many believe in faith healing and the exorcism of evil spirits.

The melding of local traditions with Christianity has produced a religion that looks unfamiliar to many Westerners but is "vast, varied, dynamic and lively," said Joel Carpenter, provost and professor of history at Calvin College, an evangelical college in Grand Rapids, Mich. Carpenter, an editor of The Changing Face of Christianity, is soon to be director of the new Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity at Calvin.

Evangelicals in the global South and East are, in many ways, at least as conservative as their U.S. counterparts. But they often diverge on such issues as poverty and war.

"On abortion or gay marriage, they sound like American conservatives. But on war and peace or economic justice, they sound like the Democratic Party," Carpenter said. "And I have not met one foreign evangelical leader that approves of American foreign policy." Muslims represent about 20 percent of the world's population, compared with Christians' 33 percent. But Islam is growing more rapidly than Christianity, largely because of faster population growth in Muslim countries, and it may surpass Christianity as the world's most popular religion in this century.

Sudan, Nigeria and the Balkans offer recent examples of violence between Christians and Muslims. But there are other examples, such as South Africa, where the two religions coexist peacefully, said Sanneh, a native of Gambia who is the author of Whose Religion Is Christianity? The Gospel Beyond the West.

In Islamic countries, the Western notion of separation of church and state is largely unknown, and Sanneh said American Christians ought to better explain the advantages - to both religion and government - of keeping the two separate.

"The American experience on that is relevant to the rest of the world in a remarkable way," Sanneh said. "Americans confronted that centuries before the rest of the world."

[laney]

Can you please omit the first 6 lines of this thread? as I did not mean for those lines to be copied and pasted..Thank You
:)

[RoadTest]

"Broadly defined, evangelicals are Christians who have had a personal or "born-again" religious conversion, believe that the Bible is the word of God, and believe in spreading their faith."

But that's the definition of a Christian!

"In Africa, some evangelicals practice polygamy. In China, some revere their ancestors. In South Korea, many believe in faith healing and the exorcism of evil spirits."

Small wonder. In America what is caledl "Evangelicals" celberate Christmas, a Roman Catholic feast day based on the pagan Roman Saturnalia. (Christ wasn't born in December - the shepherds weren't and aren't "watching their flocks by night" there in the winter)

So while "Christianity" is popularly used as a catchall term to include many denominations, Christianity as understood by the first century Christians is no such thing, but a lively, direct relationship with God in Christ Jesus, the only mediator (1 Tim. 2:5 - For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;).

[Señor Zorro]

I agree. Christianity is not about external trappings (though some are guilty of this), as it is written:

"Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:21-24.

Whatever for the origin for the date, the fact remains that Christians who celebrate Christmas are not celebrating Saturnalia, they are celebrating Christ's birth. You are right, Christ was, in all probability not born in December (though, as the scriptures do not say, you cannot be sure), but this does not preclude the celebration at that time.

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Unfortunately, most who 'celebrate' Christmas are not celebrating Christ's birth and have little or no desire to know Him.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

It is more than simple honesty. It's the key to success. Do you want to learn how integrity can make you a success?

These essays explore the many ways we can find purpose when helping other people on a personal level, nurturing the environment, or when working with others toward a larger goal. Read More...

Integrity is more than simple honesty? Makes no sense.

The article is deceptive. The use of the word integrity is a slight of hand. It suggests that if you're not "nurturing" or working with "others" toward some common goal you lack integrity.

This is leftwing nonsense.

..keep your eye on the integrity card..

[Señor Zorro]

Unfortunately, most who 'celebrate' Christmas are not celebrating Christ's birth and have little or no desire to know Him.

Granted and if, for that reason, you do not wish to participate then that is your decision. However, the actions of those who do not celebrate Christ's birth do not reflect on those who do.

"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day." Colossians 2:16

[Hebrews 11:6]

In Africa, some evangelicals practice polygamy.

Jesus multiplied the loaves, not the wives.

[NZerFromHK]

Evangelicals in the global South and East are, in many ways, at least as conservative as their U.S. counterparts. But they often diverge on such issues as poverty and war.

"On abortion or gay marriage, they sound like American conservatives. But on war and peace or economic justice, they sound like the Democratic Party," Carpenter said. "And I have not met one foreign evangelical leader that approves of American foreign policy."

I grew up in Hong Kong and I could attest to having witnessed this sentiment. It is a big shock for many Asian Christians when they go to the West and discover those who are leftists on war and economic issues are mostly postmodern social liberals. To them, the notion of going conservative on economic and war matters belong to what some would coin "South Park conservatives" - those who are "anything goes" on moral issues.

Ping!

[Fair Go]

It is not unusual for Christianity to absorb some of the previous religious traditions of the newly converted. This happened when Europeans converted to Christianity. Some have suggested that the practice of celebrating Christ's birth on December 25 is a legacy of European paganism.

[Esther Ruth]

Syncretism is what it's referred to by missions professors...or well someone.

When believers go in with the gospel and evangelize groups of people and do not disciple the new converts adequately and such all, do not tell them that they have to let go of all their pagan trappings and just hold on to only Christ. They error and let them hold on to both, their old means of salvation, works etc., ancestor worship, pagan rituals etc, blend it all together into a new hodgepodge, apostate mess - Usually out of fear and chasing new converts away. People are so stubborn, that old nature so sinful, stubborn, rebellious, and always the discussion of letting the Spirit of God who is now working in that new convert "doing the convicting" is discussed instead of just telling the new believers what the Word of God says in these regards....So many cultural trappings remain and hinder etc.

But soon this will all be behind us, very soon, the time may be close that we are all called up to meet HIM - finally!!!

This old song has been going through my mind lately

Come and dine, the Master calleth,
Come and dine:
There is plenty at God's table all the time.
He who fed the multitudes,
Turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now, come and dine.


Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

[redgolum]

"A worst-case scenario would include a wave of religious conflicts reminiscent of the Middle Ages, a new age of Christian crusades and Muslim jihads,"

In case you haven't been keeping up with current events Mr. Jenkins, this is already happening.

[MeanWestTexan]

Reverse missionaries -- bread on the water coming back.

I am in an Anglican Church under authority of an African bishop (who was tortured and imprisoned by muslims).

We used to be an Episcopal church, but our bishop kicked us out because we rejected the homosexual/alcoholic bishop.

We had supported his diocese financially and spiritually, epecially after it was cut off by ECUSA for critizing the homosexual/alcoholic bishop.

And now it came back.

[ExcursionGuy84]

Our UTMOST for HIS HIGHEST!

[NZerFromHK]

I find it interesting that so far no one on this thread has commented that the non-Western evangelical Christains tend to be "conservative on abortion and gay marriage, but leftist on war and peace and economic matters". What's your take on this stance?

[Fair Go]

I suspect that some evangelical christians in the west and the US would also be to the left on war and religion. My understanding is that a significant proportion of evangelical christians in the US vote Democrat. 24% is a figure that comes to mind. Where does Jesse Jackson belong? Is he classed as an evangelical Christian?

[NZerFromHK]

In fact, I imagine the proportion for Asian evangelical Christians would go close to 90%. I grew up with Bible teachers preaching that if you don't believe in pacifism and social democracy (socialism) then you aren't a true Christian at all. The most hardcore anti-Communist Chinese in HK during British rule were not Christians and most of the prominent Christians sound mushy when confronting the Chinese Communists.

Jesse Jackson is not considered evangelical because he has come in front delcaring he is pro-abortions and also he believes the Jesus isn't God.

I would ping to dsc and Esther Ruth for comments as they are in America and dsc is a Catholic and Esther Ruth is evangelical.

[VOA]

good reference...
"Jesus In Beijing" by David Aikman
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895261286/qid=1140645356/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/103-5815626-4140668?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

[Fair Go]

This form of Christian evangelicalism has perhaps drawn on the teaching of Leo Tolstoy. How does the evangelical movement in Latin America compare with that in Asia? I gather Catholicism has also spread widely in Latin America.

[dsc]

"I would ping to dsc and Esther Ruth for comments as they are in America and dsc is a Catholic"

Actually, I'm an American living in Japan, though striving to get back to America.

In general, with what I think is one notable exception, the foreign priests I've met in Japan (US military excepted) have seemed like refugees from the sixties -- liberal across the board, on everything from pacifism and liberation theology to homosexuality.

The Japanese priests are something of an enigma to me. It's hard to pin them down, to get them to make a clear statement on anything. They do seem awfully lackadaisical about getting things right, though.