Brian C. Stiller has had a very rich and diverse ministry experience. He has served as the president of Tyndale University College & Seminary, written books, founded and edited Faith Today magazine, and currently is global ambassador for the Evangelical World Alliance ministry. What may be of particular interest to some of our readers is that he is also a Pentecostal. This brief list of his ministry involvements tells us that he has engaged the Christian faith both intellectually and practically. In this volume he shares both his knowledge and experience of the church around the world.

The book is divided into three parts. Part 1, which is very short (only one chapter), points out that the Christianity is experiencing tremendous growth in the global south: Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Part 2 is devoted to a consideration of what the author calls five “drivers.” These drivers have substantially contributed to the growth and shaping of Christianity in the world. This is the longest section of the book. In part 3 Stiller looks at factors that are intertwined with the drivers that have also helped to fuel the growth of Christianity.

As I indicated in the previous paragraph the majority of this book focuses on the five drivers. The drivers that Stiller identifies are: the Holy Spirit, Bible translations, indigenous leadership, re-engaging the public square, and the power of the whole gospel. He devotes a chapter to each of these subjects.

A second driver that has helped Christianity to spread is Bible translation. In chapter 3, which is called “The Power of Bible Translation” Stiller points out a number of benefits people have when they have the Bible in their own language. He says one thing that is implicit in Bible translation is the idea that God is at the center of all cultures (page 56). The author also points out that the Bible empowers its readers against errant ideas. He mentions specifically false ideas from the West and the Enlightenment (page 57). One of the things that the Bible defends against is the anti-supernaturalistic views that frequently come from the West (page 57). Another benefit of Bible translation may be an unintended consequence. In some cases, when translators work on the Bible they create an alphabet and a written language in a culture that does not yet have one, this development can help the culture as a whole (page 55-56).