Abstract
As the title suggests, the purpose of this book is to explore reasons for Christianity’s explosive growth during the past 50 years and particularly the shift of its “center” to the Global South. Following an introductory chapter outlining this growth statistically and anecdotally, the second section devotes a chapter each to five factors contributing to this growth: (1) changing attitudes and understandings of the role of the Holy Spirit; (2) Bible translation; (3) the rise of indigenous leadership; (4) Evangelicals reengaging the Public Square; and (5) wholistic ministry. A concluding chapter looks at five “drivers” of church growth: prayer, women in ministry, contemporary music styles, migration, and persecution.
In spite of the similarity in titles, this is not an “update” of Ruth Tucker’s classic From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya. Rather than a narrative of people and events, this book is analytical and takes a historical look primarily at recent changes in Evangelical thinking (globally, not just in the West). Each chapter includes both statistics and personal anecdotes to support the author’s ideas. There is some overlap in topics from one chapter to the next, but this serves to illustrate the interconnectedness of diverse factors that all contribute to the spread of the Christian faith.
There are some surprising omissions. In an entire chapter devoted to the importance of Bible translation, there is no mention of Cameron Townsend and only a passing reference to “Wycliffe Translators,” while others are described in depth. And there is a sprinkling of minor factual/historical errors (e.g. in a paragraph on Hudson Taylor’s policy on women in ministry the book states that the China Inland Mission is “now called Operation Mobilization or OM,” rather than OMF International). None of these, however, undermines the book’s major points.
Brian Stiller has made a significant contribution to our understanding of global Christian growth and the factors driving it. Some will think that other factors were more significant and should have been included. Others will disagree with certain assertions, such as the author’s contention that Africa’s “prosperity gospel” is just a cultural expression of the desire to escape poverty and should be seen more positively by Evangelicals. Regardless, there is much here for missiologists to discuss and debate, and this book has enriched the conversation.