To the Ends of the Earth

Abstract

Scholars have commented for years on the southward shift of Christianity during the twentieth century. The majority of Christians worldwide are now found in the continents of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. But the nature of that shift and the actors involved have not been fully explored. This book maintains that a transformation of Christianity has occurred that is far more than demographical or geographical — a profound reformation in the character of Christianity itself has taken place. The emergence, growth, and impact of Pentecostalism in the past hundred years played a major role in this transformation of a European and North American religion into a non-Western, charismatic, and predominantly female one. Key figures and movements, the many divisions and proliferations, and the resourcefulness and challenges of its leaders and members in the majority world are examined. The book discusses the historical origins, characteristics, ideologies, theologies, and emphases of Pentecostalism as it developed from a small number of obscure Christian revivalist sects at the beginning of the century, to representing, in many different forms today, possibly as much as a quarter of the world’s Christian population. How this has happened is what this book is all about.

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