Fortress Press

Since the middle of the twentieth century the church in the western world has been enriched by the many theological and moral contributions that have emanated from the southern hemisphere. This book is the first in a series that reveals that enrichment. Readers will discover scholars from Brazil, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, South Africa, Germany and the United States discussing many issues and concerns that emerge from their respective contexts as the basis for an expanded global conversation.

This book is the first in a series on World Christianity and Public Religion that promises translations in both Portuguese and English for the expansion of transnational conversations among religious scholars. By giving priority to voices from the global south it reveals new perspectives on liberation theology, decolonization, mass migration, racial, gender and sexual inequalities, poverty, human rights, globalization, conflicting theological traditions and much more.

This book should be read by all who are interested in learning how and why the perspectives of theological and religious scholars in the southern hemisphere differ from those in Europe and North America.

As the twenty-first century unfolds, one of the most significant facts about it – possibly the most significant – is that Christianity, having been declared moribund even by some thoughtful observers – is growing, changing and spreading faster than ever. More importantly, it is no longer a “western religion” but a world faith, claiming increasing numbers of followers in China, Africa and Southeast Asia. Also, it is not just a private or a merely personal matter, but a decisive presence – for blessing and for bane – in the public arena. The books in this timely series lay out the full implications of this tidal change.

“Raimundo C. Barreto Jr. has collaborated with a group of passionate scholars in this volume – World Christianity as Public Religion – to address issues of public space from the perspective of World Christianity. World Christianity as Public Religion affirms powerfully the critical relevance of World Christianity when it engages the public space, advocating justice and the flourish of all creation. Drawn from diverse global contexts, the volume brings to the fore: migration, gender equality, intercultural communication, etc – as critical loci for World Christianity to be prophetic in the public space. Religion, in spite of being a contested category today, can still be a source for the common good. World Christianity as Public Religion illustrates this possibility persuasively.”

World Christianity as Public Religion is a remarkable volume that draws upon epistemological and interpretive insights from the fields of theology, mission, migration, ecumenism, culture, gender, and sociology to theorize and illuminate the character of Christianity as a contested and generative public project. Attuned to global political and economic forces that shape discourse on Christian theory and praxis beyond singular locations and temporalities, this volume textually and conceptually embodies the creative, interpretive spaces that emerge with a paradigmatic shift from dominant uni-directional to a multi-directional view of global Christianity. The book is an invaluable resource for scholars, clergy, and students interested in understanding contemporary global religious landscapes.

This is an important South-North dialogue that seeks to understand not only the numerical shift of Christianity to the Global South, but also its implications for religious plurality, mobility and transformation. New, authentic developments in South and North are valued without denying their ambiguities and antagonisms. Context and globality are valued in their importance both for overcoming impositive universalisms and self-contained particularisms. This book is to be commended for its inspiring and honest dialogue and critical-constructive reflection.

The product of a cooperative effort between Princeton Theological Seminary and the Faculdade Unida de Vitoria, this volume honors and builds upon the legacy of ecumenical partnerships associated with John Alexander Mackay (1889-1983). Yet the global church represented in these ten chapters differs in diversity and missional focus from the nineteenth-century monocultural missionary paradigm. In its place is offered a lively interculturality representing various local theologies, each one reflective of different cultural and political contexts that incarnate the body of Christ in diverse indigenous settings. Despite this diversity, the resulting mosaic remains united in questioning economic injustice in the public square by seeking answers for certain persistent realities like migration, religious pluralism, urbanization, environmental degradation, racism, and gender inequity in successive volumes. This impressive first volume sets the stage by presenting Christianity as a political player on the global stage, no longer as the declining church of the First World, but as the thriving church of the Global South.