Missionary-scholar Robert Menzies looks at what one China scholar says about recent changes in religious policy in China: this is not an attempt to make churches more Chinese. Rather, this is a move to politically domesticate the church in China. Despite this, there are reasons for hope.

Fenggang Yang, “Xi Jinping is Not Trying to Make Christianity More Chinese” Christianity Today (Jan 16, 2024).

I warmly recommend this well-written and informed article on the current state of Christianity in China. Professor Yang’s candid assessment of the current religious policy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and what it means for the Christian church are, in my view, on target. Yang’s main thesis is clearly stated in the article’s tagline, “The primary goal of Zhongguo hua is not cultural assimilation but political domestication. Yet I’m more confident than ever that house churches will survive.”

Fenggang Yang, Professor of Sociology at Purdue University, makes several important points: First, he astutely argues that the term “Sinicization” (often used to translate the Chinese phrase, Zhongguo hua) is inaccurate and misleading. Yang insists that a new term is needed because the goal of Zhongguo Hua is not the faithful contextualization of the gospel in contemporary China—the Chinese church has actually been quite good at this—but rather it’s political domestication. Thus, Yang proposes the term, “Chinafication,” as a helpful descriptor of the CCP’s attempt to co-opt the church. Second, Yang provides important historical context for understanding the Chinese Church’s “bitter Winter” that actually began in earnest at the beginning of 2018 when new, restrictive religious policies were enacted. Persecution is real and Yang offers numerous concrete expressions of the CCP’s attempts to muzzle and control the church. For example, churches are required to display “patriotic posters” such as “Love the party, love the state, love the religion” (note the priority assumed in the sequence of commands). While the CCP has attempted to eradicate the house church movement, the resulting wave of persecution (including the imprisonment of vocal house church pastors) has simply forced the church to move “underground” by operating more discretely and in smaller groups. Finally, Yang seeks to answer a question he raised five years ago, “Will Chinese house churches survive the latest government crackdown?” His answer today is a “resounding yes.” He describes the proliferation of meetings of small groups of believers (numbering in the dozens rather than in the hundreds) and the growth of online meetings. The essential point is that house church Christians have “held on to the teaching of ‘not giving up meeting together’ (Heb. 10:25).”

Reviewed by Robert Menzies

The book consists of Acknowledgments, five chapters, thirteen excurses, varied notes, selected bibliography, and detailed indexes of subjects, ancient names, modern authors and ancient sources.

Chapter titles include: “The Emergence of the Spirit: Recasting Exodus”, “The Essence of the Spirit: Retelling Exodus”, “The Absence of the Spirit: Recalling Exodus”, “The Assurance of the Spirit: Rekindling Exodus”, and “The Significance of the Spirit: Rediscovering Exodus”. Each chapter brings a varied and deep-well resource for the study of pneumatology.

This work offers detailed, personable, opinionated, and indispensable tedious research. From his descriptions of German theologian Hans Leisagang and more to his Greek or Jewish tracing of the origins of historical pneumatology, you’ll find detailed promise of the divine presence of God. The weight of God’s glory is depicted through Israel’s birth and early years. Pillars and angels, Clouds and fire are described as leading the Israelites to outpace the Egyptians. While God’s presence is described as durable, unshakable, and reliable.

Levison’s description of the Babylonian exile offers intriguing storylines where the Spirit is an active agent in cross-cultural contexts.  He offers rich parallels of Moses and Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Zechariah and more with concepts of the Spirit of God 1) rushing upon, 2) pouring over, and 3) resting upon individuals.

Jack Levison holds the W.J.A. Power Chair of Old Testament Interpretation and Biblical Hebrew at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. Levison was raised in New York, attended Wheaton College, received an MA at Cambridge University, and pursued his doctoral studies at Duke University. Faculty page.

He offers a unique study of consequences regarding modern assessments of early Judaism including a discourse of NT Wright’s deep appreciation for the contributions of 2^nd Temple Judaism and Shekinah Glory’s indwelling presence. He proclaims clearly, the Spirit is active now.

Levison ends this work with thirteen brief two to four page excurses. An excursus (from Latin excurrere, ‘to run out of’) is a short outbreak or narration in a work of literature. Excursuses often have little to do with subject matter discussed by the work, used to lighten or add insight to the story. He does it with brilliance.

Reviewed by Joseph S. Girdler

Publisher’s page: https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481310031/the-holy-spirit-before-christianity/

The review is based on a special edition of the book that was released to Oral Roberts University students. A printed version is being prepared for publication.

Todd M. Johnson holds a Ph.D. in International Development with a concentration in empirical analysis of Christianity and world religions from William Carey International University, Pasadena, CA (1993).[1] He is the Eva B. and Paul E. Toms Distinguished Professor of Mission and Global Christianity, and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.[2] Gina A. Zurlo holds a Ph.D. in History and Hermeneutics from Boston University School of Theology (2017) and is the Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (South Hamilton, MA).[3] Both Johnson and Zurlo are the co-editors of the World Christian Database (Brill), co-authors of World Christian Encyclopedia, Third Edition (Edinburgh University Press, 2019), and co-editor and associate editor respectively of the World Religion Database (Brill). 

Johnson and Zurlo have published this manuscript designed especially for those who study, or are interested in, global Spirit-Empowered Christian movements. Spirit-empowered Christian movements can be allocated by the taxonomies of Denominational Pentecostals (Type 1), Charismatics (Type 2), and Independents Charismatics (Type 3). The authors estimate there are “644 million Spirit-empowered Christians in 2020. This is about 26% of all Christians, expected to grow to one billion by 2050 (30% of all Christians)” (6).

Further elucidation is required on the descriptions of Spirit-empowered movements as the data was assimilated and counted based on these taxonomies. “First, there are Denominational Pentecostals (Type 1) that include Classical Pentecostals (such as the Assemblies of God and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel) and Oneness Pentecostals (such as the United Pentecostal Church). These groups tend to emphasize speaking in tongues as initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, even when the practice is not universal. Second, there are Charismatic (Type 2) who are found in mainline churches. These individuals have been baptized by the Spirit but remain Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodist, and others. They might speak in tongues but tend to focus on other gifts of the Spirit. The language of renewal movement is common among these groups. Third, there are Independent Charismatics (Type 3). These are both brand new groups as well as denominations and networks that have broken off from Type 1 and Type 2 denominations. This represents a broad category that includes African Independent churches, Chinese house churches, and white-led denominations such as the Association of Vineyard Churches. They also might speak in tongues but emphasize power, healing, and miracles in the daily lives of their members” (5).

In Chapter Two, Pentecostals in Global Christianity (pp. 32–145) provides context of Pentecostalism (Types 1–3) to the total Christian population and global population numerically and by percentage for the years 1900, 2020 and projections for 2050. Statistics also explore Spirit-empowered Christians by continent for these same years, revealing the explosive growth and shift of Pentecostalism from the Global North to the Global South in the twentieth century. There are numerous maps, statistical tables, and pie-charts analyzing a plethora of data on Spirit-empowered Christianity for the period 1900–2020. Finally, a historical and theological narrative supported by statistical tables and denominational flowcharts is presented for each of the major organizations within each of the three types of Spirit-empowered movements.

Chapter Three, Pivotal Trends of The Spirit-Empowered Movement (pp. 146–171) explores the issues and trends of woman in leadership, social justice, prosperity, and mission within Spirit-empowered global contexts. “The trajectory of such trends and their effects upon church and society may reflect either innovation upon or replication of cultural influences; nevertheless, they carry significant theological implications for the Church at large” (146).

In Chapter Four, Methodology (pp. 172–182) details the systematic journey of research that this book is built upon and how it has evolved. The authors credit Anglican researcher David B. Barrett who began this research in the mid 1960’s, which blossomed into the World Christian Encyclopedia, First Edition in 1982. Johnson worked with David Barrett to co-author the World Christian Encyclopedia, Second Edition, published in 2001. “In 2010, in partnership with the Pew Research Center (who used Barrett’s statistics in a 2006 report on Pentecostalism), the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) embarked on a new assessment of Pentecostalism in every country of the world” (177). This research was included in the World Christian Encyclopedia, Third Edition (2019) and in the World Christian Data Base (launched online originally in April 2007 but overhauled in 2018). Each iteration was critiqued for taxonomies and methods then updated. Source documentation of the counting methodology is “firmly based on membership statistics of denominations in each country of the world, of which the CSGC has now identified approximately 45,000, and each of these denominations belongs to one of four Christian traditions (Independents, Orthodox, Protestants and Catholics)” (178).

The Bibliography (pp. 183–205) is followed by the Appendix: Pentecostals/Charismatics by Country, Region, Continent and Globe (pp. 206–222). This reports the statistical data from approximately 234 countries and territories of the world for 1970 and 2020, with sub-stratification for Pentecostals/Charismatics by Types 1,2 and 3.

This book’s significance to the global Spirit-empowered movement is enormous. “There are least five distinctives to this book. They are: 1) It presents a complete taxonomy of global Pentecostalism. Carefully showing who considers themselves a part of this movement and who does not; 2) It offers a method for counting Pentecostals. While this method has appeared in article and chapter form in numerous books and journals, here it serves as the basis of the book, providing a different perspective on the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement than other surveys; 3) It includes a full-cover overview of the movement in maps, graphs, charts, tables, and photos; 4) The global movement is placed in the context of a careful assessment of all of global Christianity; and 5) It introduces a new concept to consider the movement as a whole. Following the lead of the Empowered21 movement, it introduces the idea of Spirit-empowered Christianity, which ties together the myriad forms of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity, ranging from Classical Pentecostals to Catholic Charismatics to independent churches like the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Brazil” (3–4). “This book also is unique in that it provides is a series of profiles of individual Spirit-empowered denominations around the world, profiles that include brief histories, theologies, and contemporary controversies. It highlights some key social factors of the movement such as the role of women and the prosperity gospel. Perhaps its most unique feature is the inclusion of extensive statistics on the number of Pentecostals, Charismatics, and Independent Charismatics by country, region, continent, and globe” (4).

In conclusion, I highly recommend that this book be read as a textbook, or supplemental readings in both seminaries and universities from the undergraduate to PhD levels. It is suitable for classes on theology, history, and sociology, especially those who desire to study about Spirit-empowered Christianity, which is the fastest growing sector in Christianity. Likewise, this book would be advantageous for clergy and independent scholars who might have interest.

Reviewed by Michael A. Donaldson

Publisher’s page: https://oru.libguides.com/introsecBook

Preview: https://oru.libguides.com/INTROSECPreview

Website: https://introsec.pressbooks.com/

Further Reading:

Read the interview with authors Todd Johnson and Gina Zurlo, “Spirit-Empowered Christianity” as they define what it is and talk about the third edition of the World Christian Encyclopedia.

Notes

[1] https://www.gordonconwell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Tjohnson-CV.pdf. Accessed February 26, 2021.

[2] https://www.gordonconwell.edu/faculty/current/todd-johnson/. Accessed February 26, 2021.

[3] https://www.gordonconwell.edu/faculty/adjunct/dr-gina-zurlo/. Accessed February 26, 2021.

What does Spirit-empowered Christianity look like around the world? Pneuma Review speaks with Todd M. Johnson and Gina A. Zurlo, directors of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity and editors of the third edition of the World Christian Encyclopedia.

PneumaReview.com: What is Spirit-Empowered Christianity and how is it defined?

Todd M. Johnson is the Paul E. and Eva B. Toms Distinguished Professor of Mission and Global Christianity and co-Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. His most recent book is the World Christian Encyclopedia, 3rd edition (Edinburgh University Press, 2019). He also serves as a Series Editor for the Edinburgh Companions to Global Christianity (Edinburgh University Press).

PneumaReview.com: How many Spirit-Empowered Christians are there in the world and where are they?

Johnson and Zurlo: Today there are 664 million Spirit-Empowered Christians in the world, or about 26% of all Christians. Of these, 124 million worldwide are Pentecostals; 268 million are Charismatics in mainline churches; and 252 million are Independent Charismatics. The growth of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement over the last 120 years has been in tandem with dramatic changes in Christianity’s overall cultural and linguistic composition. In 1900, over 80% of all Christians were European or North American. Today, that percentage has fallen to less than 33%. This demographic shift has formed the basis for most major analyses of world Christianity in the past 40 years. Perhaps not surprisingly, the shift has been more pronounced among Spirit-empowered Christians. Today, fully 86% of all Spirit-empowered Christians live in the Global South (Asia, Africa, Latin America).

Gina A. Zurlo is co-Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Her most recent book is the World Christian Encyclopedia, 3rd edition (Edinburgh University Press, 2019). She is co-editor of the World Christian Database and Associate Editor of the World Religion Database.

PneumaReview.com: In which part of the Global South has the greatest growth taken place?

Johnson and Zurlo: In the past 120 years the greatest growth has been in Asia and Latin America. But today Spirit-empowered Christians are most numerous in Africa (230 million), with Latin America following (195 million). Spirit-empowered Christians grew fastest in Asia and Oceania over the period 1900–2020, but Africa will likely grow the fastest from 2020–2050. We project that there will be 450 million Spirit-empowered Christians in Africa by 2050.

PneumaReview.com: What factors have contributed to the growth of the movement in the Global South?

PneumaReview.com: Spirit-Empowered Christianity is growing in Asia, Africa, and Latin America (Global South).  Is it growing as rapidly in the Global North?

Johnson and Zurlo: Spirit-Empowered Christianity is growing in the Global North (Europe and North America) but not rapidly. SEC represented 2.2% of all Christians in the Global North in 1970, today they represent 8% of all Christians and by 2050 we project that this will be 10%. This growth has been the combination of success by the Assemblies of God as well as the growth of the Charismatic individuals in mainline Christian denominations. In addition, Spirit-empowered Christians from the Global South have moved to the Global North, planting large churches in Europe.

PneumaReview.com: Has Spirit-Empowered Christianity in the Global North contributed in any way to the growth of the movement in the Global South?

Johnson and Zurlo: The major way that the North has contributed has been through the sending of missionaries. Most of the American and European Pentecostal denominations have been active for more than 100 years in missions to Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. Consequently, today, denominations like the Assemblies of God are found all over the world. A second way that the North has been involved is in theological and missionary training; many Christians from the global South come to the North for formal training. A third way is by hosting global conferences that bring people together from around the world. But, despite all of this, it has to be acknowledged that the vast majority of the work of evangelism and renewal in the Global South has been done by indigenous workers, many of whom we do not know their names, such as Bible women (indigenous evangelists) in Africa and Asia.

PneumaReview.com: Are there differences between Spirit-Empowered Christians in the North and the South? If so, what are they?

Johnson and Zurlo: There major difference between Spirit-empowered Christians in the North and South relates to their context. In the North, Spirit-empowered Christians live in the shadow of Christendom, a time when virtually everyone was a Christian but now many have abandoned faith for a secular worldview. In the South, the reality of the spiritual world, perceived through traditional religions, has given Spirit-empowered Christians a place to experience the power of the Spirit in everyday life. Most Christians in the global South have found Spirit-Empowered Christianity to be a better cultural fit than Western Christianity.

PneumaReview.com: Is Spirit-Empowered theological education readily available in the Global South?

Johnson and Zurlo: There are a wide-range of theological institutions that serve Spirit-empowered Christians in the Global South. First, there are strong denominational schools. For example, the Assemblies of God in Brazil was initially resistant to formal theological education. However, the church eventually established its own formal institution of theological education – the Instituto Bíblico das Assembleias de Deus (IBAD) in 1958. Second, many interdenominational seminaries train Spirit-empowered Christians from around the world. Yet, surveys of theological institutions show that theological education is not readily available in much of the Global South. The majority of the schools and the resources are still found in the Global North.

PneumaReview.com: What are the greatest needs of Spirit-Empowered Christians in the Global South?

Johnson and Zurlo: The Spirit-empowered Movement has spread across the globe, through different cultural contexts, with remarkable speed and dynamism. While its emphases on the charismatic gifts of the Spirit and experiential validation may often preclude its theological import in certain circles, the Spirit-empowered Movement in the Global South is marked by pivotal issues that deserve mention, notably in the role of women in leadership, the prosperity gospel, and media for mission. These particular issues represent important identity markers for many Pentecostal/Charismatic churches and movements around the world. Historically, Pentecostal/Charismatic churches have championed women in leadership in mission, with, for example, women serving as some of the early Pentecostal missionaries from the Azusa Street Revival. However, many women founders of revival movements lost their positions of leadership when their movements became institutionalized into churches. Pentecostal churches are sometimes prosperity gospel churches because they teach victorious, prosperous and healthy living in the spiritual as well as in the physical realm. They often start from the premise Jehovah Jireh our provider, is a God of abundance. God owns everything and wants his children to prosper. Prosperity churches also teach that Christians should excel in material wealth, which is one reason why so many of their pastors wear expensive clothes and own luxury cars. These new Pentecostals are sophisticated in their use of marketing techniques by selling books and other resources such as seminars covering subjects from deliverance to marriage. They also create elaborate signboards and posters for their churches and events.

PneumaReview.com: What was the most interesting thing that you learned in the research for Spirit-Empowered Christianity?

Johnson and Zurlo: Female Spirit-empowered influence has expressed itself in a variety of ways throughout history and within the movement today, such as missionaries (especially single missionaries), as pastor’s wives (who often have more influence within congregations than their husbands), as evangelists (historically, often unnamed), and as everyday keepers of faith and tradition to pass down to generations. Our research highlights some Pentecostal and Charismatic women from around the world who have been founders of movements and denominations and sparked revivals.

PneumaReview.com: What can the church in the Global North learn from the growing Spirit-Empowered Movement in the Global South?

PR

More from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity:

John Lathrop writes: “Here is the link to the opening of the new location of the Center for Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. The program begins at about the 12 minute mark. When it begins there is no sound but they fix it quickly. They give a virtual tour of the center after the ribbon cutting. It is very nice.” https://www.facebook.com/GordonConwell/videos/3257646254361607/

Visit the CSGC page for the latest edition of the World Christian Encyclopedia: https://www.gordonconwell.edu/center-for-global-christianity/publications/world-christian-encyclopedia/

Join Antipas Harris for a live conversation about faith, Marxism, and Black Lives Matter.

Update: Follow the link below for watch the dialogue.

I would like to invite you to join me TONIGHT for an intellectually and spiritually invigorating Live Streaming conversation with highly acclaimed sociologist and practical theologian Bryan Froehle, Ph.D.

In light of the current social unrest, we will be having a dialogue concerning the Church, social structures, and social justice.

Simply click on the link below or join me on my public Facebook page TONIGHT, Tuesday, August 25, 2020, at 9 pm EDT/ 8 pm CDT/ 6 pm PDT. 

I hope to see your comments tonight on either YouTube or on my public Facebook page @drantipas. Be sure to “like” and “share” the live conversation on your social media outlets.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Sincerely,

Dr. Antipas

Antipas Harris introduces his new book, the serious challenge behind it, and his invitation to join him in proclaiming anew that Jesus is Good News for everyone.

Without doubt, we are living through troubled times. The world is engulfed in noxious uncertainties: contentious politics, racial unrest, hate groups and global warming, to name a few. Now, amidst the devastation of coronavirus, or COVID-19, many people are turning to – or back to – faith. Amid the constant resurgence of blatant racism, as exemplified in the recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, reminds us that we are really battling two pandemics, simultaneously. People are looking for answers, seeking the “peace that passes all understanding,” and a new and better normal. As president of a divinity school, my primary aim is ensuring that current and future ministers are prepared to bear witness more effectively for such a time as this. To that end, seminarians and faith leaders alike will discover refreshing new strategies for overcoming obstacles and deepening faith in my forthcoming book, Is Christianity the White Man’s Religion?

Americans searched for God with renewed interest in the last decade, and it seems that COVID-19 has only intensified this quest. Spiritual fulfillment, after all, is an important dimension of the human psyche. While many people will continue to look to the Bible and their Christian faith for guidance, others question the relevance of the Bible for contemporary times. In any case, people in general are scouring America’s spiritual landscape, hoping to find a faith that is real, one that heals and unifies. I explore this faith anew in Is Christianity the White Man’s Religion?

Let me share an experience I had a few years ago while teaching a graduate course on leadership. A 22-year-old student interrupted my lecture with a question: “What do you say to people who are leaving the church and arguing that Christianity is the white man’s religion?” I was taken aback by the question. First, it was unrelated to the topic. Second, I wondered who in the world would argue such a thing. I knew that this had been a common question back during the Jim Crow era, and I almost brushed it off. However, the discussion that ensued opened a world of discovery. Apparently, my ethnically diverse class of millennials was more attuned to the relevance of the question than I.

Unable to shake the discussion from my thoughts, I embarked on a journey of research and found that many Christians are unaware that much pondering about faith exists outside the church. How relevant is the Bible for understanding today’s complex issues? What does the Bible offer to a nation of multi-ethnic, multicultural, multi-generational individuals? The answers to these and similar questions led me to write Is Christianity the White Man’s Religion?

Historian William De Arteaga invites Pneuma Review readers to journey with him into Latin American Christianity as presented in Issue 130 of Christian History magazine.

Christian History 130, “Latin American Christianity: Colorful, complex and conflicted”

Christian History magazine is a wonderful journal. I recommend a copy of it be at the coffee table of every Christina household so that friends and neighbors would be influenced by it.

Have you noticed how many books of the Bible are historical? No accident. This is different for the scriptures of other religions, which are mostly texts of moral do’s and don’t’s or meditation practices, such as in Buddhism. Without a sense of history, a Christian will have difficulty forming a mature biblical worldview. Without this grounding, Christians fall into errors like conspiracy theories—where one believes another group is especially evil—or so-called pedestal history—where one believes the present generation is the wisest and best. ().[1]

Many Christian writes still fall into modern forms of “hagiography.” That is, writing only the positive about Christians and their ministries, and skip any sinful or negative aspects. Note that the Biblical history books are not written in that way. We learn, for instance, of David’s murder-adultery, Paul had and ugly donnybrook with Barnabus, and the “heroes” of the book of Judges all had serious faults that were not over looked.[2]

In this issue, the editor and writers did a wonderful job of balancing the achievements of the Spanish and Brazilian evangelization of Latin America and some of the saints they produced as well as looking in on the dark sins of genocide of the indigenous people of the Caribbean, the mass importation of African slaves, and the imposition of serfdom on most of the indigenous peoples. The editor, Jennifer Woodruff Trait, an Evangelical Christian, could have accepted the Evangelical suspicion that Catholics are not really Christian, but she did not.[4]

The “Latin American Christianity” issue is divided into ten articles that cover wide panorama of issues about Christianity in Latin America plus its usual and useful sections, “Did You Know” factoids, and “Recommended Resources“ of books, web sites and videos.

Contrary to genuine concerns, Islam surpassing Christianity is improbable. For one thing, Protestant growth from 1960-2000 was three times global population changes and twice that of Islam.[2] Furthermore, Muslim fertility rates[3] are leveling out. Pew Research points out:

The gap in fertility between the Christian and Muslim-dominated nations fell from 67% in 1990 to 17% in 2010. If the trend continues, the Muslim and Christian fertility rates will converge in around 2050.[4]

Countering the inevitability of Islam’s dominance, Rodney Stark recently noted:

As recently as April 2015, the Pew Research Center declared that Muslims would soon overtake Christians by way of superior fertility. They will not … Islam generates very little growth through conversions, while Christianity enjoys a substantial conversion rate, especially in nations located in … the ‘global south’ – Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. And these conversions do not include the millions of converts being gained in China. Thus, current growth trends project an increasingly Christian world.[5]

In the darkest corners of the world, astonishing numbers of people are turning to Christ. Latin America, Africa, and Asia are experiencing extraordinary growth.

Declension in the West

While God’s glory is on display around the world, not all nations are experiencing the same degree of impact. Christianity is undoubtedly outpacing population growth internationally. However, it is stagnant in the West.[9]

Christianity is on the decline in America, not just among younger generations or in certain regions of the country but across race, gender, education and geographic barriers. The percentage of adults who describe themselves as Christians dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years to about 71 percent.[12]

Some would question these findings. Yet, no matter how one interprets the data, problems are apparent. While Christianity is expanding around the world, it remains stagnant in North America.

Global Renewal Christianity: Latin America, provides a broad lens that not only captures the breath and the renewing influence of the Holy Spirit in the region, but also the historicity of Latino/a Pentecostalism being experienced for the last 100 years. The volume is skillfully edited and written with the goal of approaching the context and connecting the reader with specific regions such as; Cuba (99), San Pedro Sula, Honduras (44), the Andean Region (157-217) and the Southern Cone (239-295) in Latin America.

This remarkable volume also provides robust historical evidence of the Christian renewal movement in the region. The writers eloquently addressed Pentecostalism from their own context and traditions. The collection of essays utilizes various enquiry and academic styles to bring forth into the Guild of Pentecostal studies, what Bernardo Campos describes as; Pentecostalidad (Pentecostality) Latino-Americana (XXXii). For Campos, Pentecostalidad Latino-Americana is a new collective dynamic evangelical identity that is defined as the Spirit’s Empowerment upon a new generation of leaders. These new leaders from across the region are not only united through Pentecostalidad as new Latin American evangelical faces but are also a generation greatly concern with the pressing social issues of their countries. Hence, Pentecostalidad is redefining what it means to be part of a renewed Christian movement and is creating space for new actors that have begun to reshape the landscape of Latin American evangelicalism.

The volume also highlights the work of Pentecostal women like Elena Laidlaw in Chile. Numerous women in Latin America were key figures in the spreading of Pentecostalism at the beginning of 20^th century. However, many pioneer women were also persecuted, erased from history books, and silenced because of their gender (301). Yes!

Is Christianity dying in America? In this review essay by historian William De Arteaga, he points out that the statistics about the church shrinking are not what most have made of it.

Glen T. Stanton, “New Harvard Research Says U.S. Christianity Is Not Shrinking, But Growing Stronger,” The Federalist (January 22, 2018)

The above cited article is a summary article, and below is original research that encompasses many studies on the topic. Both are very encouraging, especially in view of the bad news we Christians have been hearing about the eventual demise of the Church in America, or at least its marginalization as has happened in Western Europe. New and careful analysis shows, for instance, that in the US the percentage of persons attending church services once a week has increased every decade since the Nation’s founding.  Yes, that‘s right, many a patriot soldier of 1775 was also an agnostic or deist. Thank God there was a leaven of Christians.

The article below shows, in great detail and with graphs, that the percentage of Christians who go to church often, has been steady for decades. The losses are from nominal believers who no longer feel social pressure to remain in church or be identified as Christian.

Landon Schnabel and Sean Bock, “The Persistent and Exceptional Intensity of American Religion: A Response to Recent Research,” Sociological Science 4 (2017), pages 686-700.

Here is the abstract from that article:

Recent research argues that the United States is secularizing, that this religious change is consistent with the secularization thesis, and that American religion is not exceptional. But we show that rather than religion fading into irrelevance as the secularization thesis would suggest, intense religion—strong affiliation, very frequent practice, literalism, and evangelicalism—is persistent and, in fact, only moderate religion is on the decline in the United States. We also show that in comparable countries, intense religion is on the decline or already at very low levels. Therefore, the intensity of American religion is actually becoming more exceptional over time. We conclude that intense religion in the United States is persistent and exceptional in ways that do not fit the secularization thesis.