Restoring the First-century Church in the Twenty-first Century

Studies in the History and Culture of World Christianities Studies in the History and Culture of World Christianities is a series of scholarly monographs and collected essays documenting the history, faith, and practice of Christian traditions that have not been adequately reported. Christianity has changed and is changing. The center of the Christian population has shifted from Europe and North America to what some now call the "Two-Thirds" world. The Holiness, Pentecostal, Stone-Campbell, Adventist, and the Charismatic Movements as well as Asian and African Independent Churches, among others, have transformed the global religious landscape. Within Roman Catholic circles, the reforms of Vatican II and the development of the Charismatic Movement have resulted in new communities. Orthodox churches are being changed from mono-ethnic to multi-ethnic churches as they establish their presence outside historic homelands. European and North American mission churches of the imperial and so-called "mainline"--but increasingly minority--traditions are also being reshaped by the same religious and cultural phenomena. Studies in the History and Culture of World Christianities is a contribution to the documentation of the developing Christian religious communities as they overflow the geographical, cultural, economic, and political divides of man-made borders. The series is focused on the historic and emerging churches, and their ecclesial extended families, especially those active around the Pacific Rim but also including others around the world. I hope that Studies in the History and Culture of World Christianities will stimulate further research and appreciation of these religious communities. David Bundy Associate Provost for Library Services Associate Professor of History Fuller Theological Seminary Pasadena, California U.S.A.