The Next Christendom

THE NEXT CHRISTENDOM BY PHILIP JENKINS A SUMMARY AND RESPONSEKyle 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 with other cultures.

Christianity, once having its niche during the post-Constantine days of Rome, soon after became a part of European culture. [4] Then found its home in the Western American expression. Now Christianity is increasingly moving south and back to where it began. [5] He proposes that syncretism is a contributing factor for Christianity being so successful in Third World countries.

A history of forced conversions to Christianity helped spread the religion outside of Europe. As a Christian nation conquered another, their religion came with them. Since the wealthy had the most influence, missionaries employed the Silk Strategy. The point was to bring the faith to the cultural elite and then their influence allowed faith to advance to the rest of the population. Jenkins then describes how militant Islam swept across Africa and western Asia and caused the church to eventually lose most of its grip in Africa and the Middle East.

6] With that being a major factor, Jenkins also suggests that other religious traditions competed with Christianity in Africa and Asia. Jenkins continues is his succinct yet expansive scope of religious history. He covers the expansion of Christianity through colonialism and modern missionary efforts, suggesting that though Christianity has been largely defined by its Western believers, there were still Catholic and Protestant churches being planted outside of European Christendom. [7] Jenkins then advances that the secularization of Western Europe has reimaged Christendom.He juxtaposes Western Europe with the nearly 50 million Protestant believers and over 400 million Catholics that exist in South America. More importantly, Jenkins makes the point that these southern church building often mirror western architecture yet their congregations reflect local cultural nuances.

These nuances including political, charismatic, and syncretistic that merge with their gospel message. [8] Jenkins describes the type of Christianity that survived the breakup of European dominance in the South and that continues to rapidly spread.This Southern church is enthusiastic, spontaneous, fundamentalist, and supernatural oriented. Several other reasons press the shift to the South.

Among these, first, Western nations have largely developed an egregious attachment to tolerance and materialism. Second, simple population growth is slower in the West than developing nations. This does not imply that other major religions are not growing in the South also, the point is: Christianity is growing at an incredible rate in the Southern hemisphere and in China and impacts the global look of Christianity. 9] If such trends continue, Jenkins claims Christianity will inevitably become increasingly Southern in style, culture, philosophy, and academics.

So the questions remain: what will Christianity look like when it is no longer culturally European or Western?Will it still be Christianity in its core? As the church population explodes in developing nations and becomes more indigenous to those cultures, will there be a conflict of orthodoxy and heresy like in the early church? Will the church become increasingly poor, libertarian, or spiritual? 10] In the second half of the book, Jenkins responds to these questions. In Chapter eight, Jenkins explores the turbulent possibility for horrific violence, war and terrorism along religious lines that might accompany the rise of Southern Christianity which is already happening and about which the western public is largely uninformed.“Christian growth raises potential political difficulties, and can on occasion lead to violence. ” [11] History shows that any religion is capable of great evil in the pursuit of their faith. Undeniably, modern Christians have committed their share of atrocities…” Jenkins redirects this general admission to suggest that the pattern of religious conflict has shifted decisively and Islam is the antagonist against the Christian world. [12] Luckily, Jenkins does see a positive possible outcome to these and similar tensions as a new face of Christianity is revealed.

Jenkins concludes the book in Chapter 10 by encouraging readers to seek a deeper understanding of what Christianity in the global South looks and feels like and how it differs from the Christianity we are familiar with in the West.But ultimately Jenkins challenges the modern church to consider the core focus and goal of the Christian faith. “In an ideal world, Christians and Muslims, Catholics and Pentecostals, would be engaged in a friendly rivalry as to who could best help the poor, without thought of who was gaining the greatest numbers and influence. ” [13] One nit-picky issue would be how Jenkins defined Christianity. Jenkins builds a good picture of Christendom as a whole with a desire for it to reflect "a true overarching unity and a focus of loyalty transcending mere kingdoms or empires" (p.

10).To that end, while defining the term Christian, Jenkins defined a Christian as "someone who describes himself or herself as Christian, who believes that Jesus is not merely a prophet or an exalted moral teacher, but in some unique sense the Son of God, and the messiah" (p. 88). He later qualifies that definition with “the term ‘Christian’ could be used only for someone who had experienced a personal born-again conversion” (p.

100). Accepting the difficulties of taking a census of the spiritual condition of ALL believers, I suggest that many of Jenkins’ growth numbers are inflated due to such a large swath of inclusion.That being said, without such large numbers, global South may not be overtaking global North but rather growing up WITH global North. Since the Holy Spirit calls people to salvation, the birth rate has little to do with true faith; another reason to question Jenkins’ estimates. The Christian church can flourish in a pluralistic society.

Throughout the text, Jenkins argues that Christendom is challenged by the growth of other faiths (primarily Islam). I’ve always had an issue with that argument.We are not competing against other belief systems; we just need to get better at sharing our own. His point about the Islam/Christian conflict focused on the militant expressions of that fury that has dominated news for years since 9/11. We will continue to be in conflict and it will often end up in violence.

That pattern will continue as Christendom shifts to the South. Scripture says “"You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved” (Matt 10:22).We are not promised quiet lives in our faith. However, in our faith we are promise life, and life abundantly. No inter-faith conflict can wipe away that promise. I find some comfort in the possibility of a global shift.

The assumption is that the Church will take steps back to, what might now be considered, immature Christianity. History shows that a Church struggling to define itself will have difficult periods of time, but they are focused and dedicated to the task. As the Church shift South, it will look different than North American orthodoxy.Why shouldn’t it? It already is. When I was in Ghana, I loved the newness of the churches in which I preached. Their attire was obviously influenced by the European occupation, but the worship was all Ghana.

Did I agree with all of the theological nuances? No. Did I find true faith in Christ in the hearts of the congregants? Yes. Those churches will never look like my home church building. But I would love to have that kind of “Ghana” energy and excitement about fellowship in my building.

I am excited about having read this book.Although I am not on board with everything Jenkins says, he does have insight into the global view of Christendom. I am charged with teaching a seminar, at my church, on sharing our faith in today’s world. I am challenged to ensure that my definition of “world” is not limited to just a global North mentality. This book has educated my thinking on presenting a wider world of faith. It hit me that as I have discussed the details with other leaders, what we mean by “today’s world” is a “postmodern world”.

That has strong assumptions of the global North culture.But I stand by my earlier statement. We are not called to find ways to convince postmodernists to believe; that is the work of the Holy Spirit. We are, I believe, called to find better ways to express our faith that connects with the postmodern individual. We do not have to fear or regret a southern shift, we just need to embrace and engage the Church of Jesus Christ and be good brothers and sisters.REFERENCESJenkins, 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.

• [1] Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom : The Coming of Global Christianity, Rev. and expanded ed. , The Future of Christianity Trilogy (Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), xi.
• [2] ibid.

  , 3-4.

• [3] ibid. , 19.
• [4] ibid. , 21-22.
• [5] ibid.

  , 14.

• [6] ibid. , 25-38.
• [7] ibid.

  , 50.

• [8] ibid. , 39-53; 74-78.
• [9] ibid. , 81-85; 94-105.
• [10] ibid.

  , 108-17; 145-56.

• [11] ibid. , 177.
• [12] ibid. , 190-212.
• [13] ibid.

  , 252.