Abstract
Turning Points in the Expansion of Christianity is a valuable supplement to any history of missions course. It is also an intriguing read for anyone who wants to increase their understanding of the expansion of the church around the globe and into different cultures. In each of the twelve chapters Alice Ott identifies a key turning point in the expansion of Christianity and the players, events, and motivations involved. She also ends the book with a conclusion that provides key rubrics—“mission theology, mission agents and structures, mission and culture, mission and the state, and mission motivation and lifestyle” (269)—that aid in comprehending the identified turning points.
Reading the Introduction is essential as it sets forth the underlying assumptions of the author including her use of the terms mission and missions (xvii). The Introduction also describes the format of the chapters. Each chapter starts with a hymn and ends with a prayer from the time period and cultural context. The chapters are developed by digging into the event and/or person involved, thus explaining why they constitute a turning point. I found the chapter conclusions to be useful summaries. Frequent sidebars include selections from pertinent primary source material along with useful source references.
Turning Points proceeds as a truly global study. Chapter 1 identifies the importance of the Church’s ethnic diversity as noted through the Jerusalem council. The following chapters cover the expansion of the church into areas outside of the Roman Empire including non-Western missions: chapter 2—Ireland and Patrick, chapter 3—China and the East Syrian mission, chapter 4—pagan Europe and Boniface, and chapter 5—China and the Jesuits. There is a shift in chapters 6–10 to focus on the emergence of Western missions and its underlying assumptions that lead to the expansion of the global church: chapter 6—the early outreach of the Moravians, chapter 7—William Carey and the development of Protestant mission agencies, chapter 8—British Abolitionism and the first missions efforts in West Africa, chapter 9—the development of indigenous church concepts, and chapter 10—missions during the era of Imperialism. Finally, chapter 11 focuses on Edinburgh, and chapter 12 on Lausanne. Both delve into the impact of each of these movements on missions in their corresponding church bodies.
Many history-of-missions books focus on the who and where and sometimes how. Turning Points leads us more into the why of church expansion. Through each chapter, the reader is given valuable lessons to ponder about the past and to consider for the future of the church around the world as it engages God’s task of missions. As Ott states, we learn from the “grievous mistakes” (277), the “glorious moments of sacrifice for the sake of the gospel” (278), and the tasks done in missions. This is a book for everyone who wants to better understand how and why the church has become global.