World Christianity: An Introduction

Over the past several decades the phrase “World Christianity” has gained in popularity as a way to talk about the contemporary global configurations of the Christian religion in all their complexities. The phrase carries an implicit admission within it. Without acknowledging as much, the term “Christianity” by itself has too often been reduced to naming one or more of the dominant Western historical forms of this religion, rendering the broader global Christian reality invisible. The study of World Christianity is, in contrast, an emerging field that investigates and seeks to understand Christian communities, faith, and practice as they are found on six continents, expressed in diverse ecclesial traditions, and informed by the multitude of historical and cultural experiences in a world that for good and ill is rapidly globalizing. It is concerned with both the diversity of local or indigenous expressions of Christian life and faith throughout the world, and the variety of ways these interact with one another critically and constructively across time and space. It is particularly concerned with under-represented and marginalized communities of faith, resulting in a greater degree of attention being paid to Asian, African, and Latin American experiences; the experience of marginalized communities within the North Atlantic world; and the experiences of women throughout the world.