World Christianity and the Unfinished Task
A Very Short Introduction
Foreword by Muthuraj Swamy
Imprint: Cascade Books
This book is a short introduction to one of the most remarkable transformations in the modern world that many people still do not know about. In 1900 more than 80 percent of the world's Christians lived in Europe and North America and nearly all of the world's missionaries were sent out "from the West to the rest." In a dramatic turn of events Christianity experienced a decidedly "Southern shift" during the twentieth century. Today nearly 70 percent of the world's 2.5 billion Christians live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, while nearly half of all missionaries are being sent out into all the world from places like Brazil, Ethiopia, and South Korea. This book is intended to change the way readers think about the church and challenge the way the Western Christians engage in contemporary missions.
F. Lionel Young III is a research associate at the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide. He has worked as a lecturer in theology and history in theological institutions throughout the non-Western world. He also serves as the Executive Vice President of Global Action (USA), an international non-profit that provides theological education for underserved leaders in the developing world.
“Over the last century Christianity has become a world religion as never before, with popular followings in almost every land. In this book Lionel Young explains succinctly how the process has taken place but is also insistent that the task of spreading the gospel worldwide is unfinished.”
—David W. Bebbington, University of Stirling, Scotland
“This is now the best introduction to world Christianity for thoughtful, literate, everyday Christians—the very people who most need to understand the realities that Lionel Young describes. God has rocked the Christian world during the past several decades, upending what many took for granted about the church. It’s time we paid attention and participated humbly in the surprising work of God in the Global South.”
—Douglas Sweeney, Beeson Divinity School
“This is a compact, accessible primer full of essential facts about the link between world Christianity and mission. Young’s passion for the subject is evident in the relevant stories and personal anecdotes he skillfully weaves into the compelling narrative. I highly recommend this book to pastors, missionaries, and scholars with a growing interest in the fascinating trajectories of Christianity in the non-Western World.”
—Kyama Mugambi, author of A Spirit of Revitalization: Urban Pentecostalism in Kenya
“The extraordinary transformation in the global composition and cultural flavor of Christianity that has taken place in the last half-century have attracted the attention of numerous scholars, but sadly have yet to penetrate the consciousness of the average churchgoer in the West. Lionel Young’s readable and stimulating survey will surely help to address that deficit, widening horizons and dispelling preconceptions.”
—Brian Stanley, University of Edinburgh
“Lionel Young has written a concise and exciting look at the dramatic changes occurring in global Christianity today, and I heartily recommend it. I envision pastors sharing this book with their congregations, explaining the crucial yet often unnoticed shifts within Christianity that are happening right outside our doorsteps.”
—Dyron Daughrity, Pepperdine University
“I am delighted that Lionel Young has produced this book, which is based on his thorough knowledge of world Christianity and is written in a pleasingly accessible way. We lacked this very short introduction to the subject and now that need has been met—splendidly.”
—Ian Randall, Cambridge Center for Christianity Worldwide
“Don’t let the subtitle fool you. This ‘very short introduction’ will be shocking to the average Western Christian. It is staggering to see through these pages how Christianity has emerged and is flourishing in the Global South. This very short book casts a very long vision for Christian mission in the twenty-first century.”
—Steve DeWitt, author of Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God in Everything
“This is an important book for anyone who cares about the state of global Christianity. Lionel Young combines his personal experience in global missions with the impressive academic rigor to draw a complete picture to show how God is at work in the world in unprecedented and surprising ways.”
—Rick Thompson, Global Action and Council Road Baptist Church
“This highly accessible book speaks directly to Christians in the West as the latest one-stop shop for understanding world Christianity today. Lionel Young has masterfully woven together history and the present, missions and human rights, Global North and Global South, and Catholics and Protestants to send a powerful message of Christian unity for the twenty-first century.”
—Gina A. Zurlo, Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
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