The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity Essay -- essay

Christianity is becoming extinct. In order for it to continue on it must modernize its beliefs. The average Christian is white, middle class and is from europium or America. The religion of Islam is expanding quickly and will soon dominate Christianity. These ar all common claims made nigh Christianity that many people believe, provided Philip Jenkins claims and proves them untrue in his book, The Next Christendom The Coming of Global Christianity. According to his book, Christianity is travel out of the global north and into the global south. In fact, Christianity is growing apace in countries such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He also writes well-nigh how Africa and brazil nut will, within the next fifty years, replace Europe as the center of Christianity. Both of these countries have been heavily missionized within that past one C years, and the number of Christians in each has raised millions. The expansion growth in these countries is due primarily to their high re production rates and their hunger for the Christian beliefs that the missionaries brought with them. Jenkins says in this book that the missionaries faced no occupations trying to explain rough a high deity or other bafflingly alien institution views to the Africans, because it followed well with many of their own tribal beliefs. Many of the tribes worshiped one higher power already and also found that many of the Christian beliefs cast off in sync with their own heritage and customs. They did though, encounter one problem the beliefs fell so in sync with their tribal traditions, that eventually the African culture started to incorporate their customs such as exorcism, dream visions, prophesy, healing, and mysticism into their Christian churches, creating an entire sub group of Christianity. These sub groups are closely related to the more Pentecostal churches, but are far from the ritualistic practices of the Anglicans and Catholics that primarily missionized them. Pentecosta l churches, because of the resurgence in countries such as Africa and Brazil will soon be the dominant Christian sects. They strongly try views about personal relationships with God, biblical literism, speaking in tongues, visions and prophesy but as the African churches do. The Pentecostal church tends to mainly attract the unretentive or lower class of society, which also happens to be what Bra... ...nto the thought that ghostlike wars may occur, be he completely left out the ideas that the Moslem nation, be known for terrorism and other such acts of violence, could potentially detach Christianity from any form of mainstream. This is a serious topic to think about considering what they have done to other religions, and to Christian sects residing in the Middle East. I think Jenkins should have presented this as more of an issue and an actual bane then claiming that it might cause slight conflict. The book unquestionably had few strengths and some weaknesses. I believe th e information that Jenkins provided was extremely well open up and proven. This is exactly the type of information that people need to know, because the truth is being denied. I think for the book to be effective, it needs to be move out better. I wouldnt re think back this book to anyone besides a theological scholar due to the manner that it flows, even though it has actually good reviews and is on best seller lists for Christian books. I commend Jenkins for going against the flow and indite against the average beliefs, but admonish him for writing the information in such an incomprehensible manner.