The Coming of Global Christianity

Last evening, Philip Jenkins spoke on "The Coming of Global Christianity," as part of UTC's LeRoy Martin Distinguished Lecture Series.

I am amazed at how Jenkins can stand in front of an audience of over 100 people and simply talk about Global Christianity seamlessly for an hour without any notes. It is even more impressive that he can cite dozens of statistics on various indigenous groups in the so-called Global South solely from his memory. At several points during his talk, you could hear gasps, and subtle "wows," from the audience as Jenkins informed us of the differences between western and "southern" Christianity.

Most of the material from his lecture came from his books, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity,  The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South, and God's Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe's Religious Crisis. He described, for instance, how the religious groups of the Global South are typically more conservative theologically, more charismatic, and more comfortable dealing with spiritual forces than the churches in the West. Based on the reaction of the audience, it seemed that most of this information was previously unknown for many people who attended last night. Several people came up to me later in the evening, mentioning how much they enjoyed his talk and wanted to know the date of the next lecture.

I consider it a privilege to be able to organize these lectures, but I have to admit that it can be very stressful at times. I am often the sole person who ensures that the caterers bring the food on time, that the UTC bookstore has a proper table set up with the speaker's books for sale (and has ordered the books), that the tech-person is present and available, and that the hotel and meal reservations have been made for the speaker. I also arrange for local advertisements in the Times Free Press, on Chattanooga's NPR radio station, and distribute posters of the event to local churches, colleges, and civic organizations. On top of all that, I usually introduce the speaker and perform the role of moderator during the Q & A after the lecture. I sometimes have to remind myself to sit back and enjoy the lecture, rather than fret about the various potential problems that could occur during the evening. All-in-all it is very satisfying to bring speakers like Jenkins to Chattanooga where they can make an intellectual contribution to our understanding of religion. Now it is time to consider who to invite for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Another Timely Lecture at UTC

I seem to get quite a few calls from the Chattanooga Times Free Press asking me to comment on various controversial religious news, such as the feud between the government and Catholics on birth control and the topic of prayer in school. Sometimes, I am able to pass the buck to someone else. Last October, for instance, I arranged for John Fea to provide an op-ed piece on Sunday, October 7 for the Times Free Press before the election, on the topic of whether America was founded as a Christian nation. This coincided nicely with Fea's lecture two days later on October 9 at UTC.

Today, I received a call asking for a comment on Pope Benedict XVI's recent decision to resign. Thankfully again, I was able to defer a response to Philip Jenkins, a person more qualified to answer queries on the significance of Ratzinger's decision, and the likelihood that the next pope will come from the exploding Global South.

Jenkins will be speaking on "The Coming of Global Christianity" at UTC on Wednesday, February 20, at 5pm. It could be our largest turnout for a lecture yet. I have placed four quarter-page ads in the Times Free Press, advertised on the local NPR and Christian radio stations, sent posters to surrounding colleges, and alerted the churches in the area.

God is Red

I'm making my way through a stack of books that I have recently ordered. The most captivating by far is Liao Yiwu's God is Red. When I was looking for potential texts to use for my upcoming course on Global Christianity, I recalled John Wilson at Books and Culture listing it as the best book of 2011. Now, during the holiday break, I am finally able to read it.

This is an eye-opening, and in many cases, heart-breaking account of the painful sufferings that many Christians have endured in communist China. It would be impossible not to be moved by the stories that make up the chapters in the book. Perusing God is Red makes me feel ashamed for complaining about my own petty problems, especially after reading a chapter like "The Cancer Patient" about Li Linshan.

Li grew up in a poor area in China where clean water was rare. He told the author, "We dug wells, as deep as two people, but they were always dry. Water was like gold. Rainwater was free, but that didn't last long. It tasted like muddy soup with lots of bugs in it. If you filled up a scoop, you could see the bugs wriggling in the water." Li later learned that he had cancer, but could not afford medical treatment. But rather than sulk, he joyfully awaited his death. When Liao Yiwu asked him if he felt lost, Li replied, "No, I'm not lost. God will make plans for me... Death will be like a leaf falling onto the ground. My soul will float into the arms of angels." In a touching epilogue, Liao writes that a Reformed Evangelical Church in California heard of Li's condition and raised the money to pay for his much-needed surgery.

If you are looking for a last minute stocking-stuffer, I would highly recommend this book, which is only about $10 on Amazon.com. I have ordered copies for my parents and in-laws, and will definitely use it for my course on Global Christianity.

New Books on the Way

The holiday season is upon us and once again all I want for Christmas are books. I have now worked out an agreement with my immediate and extended family so that I can order a certain number of books as part of my Christmas presents.

John Fea reminded me that I need to read Ebenezer Hazard, Jeremy Belknap, and the American Revolution by Russell M. Lawson. But since I don't want to spend $90, I've taken his advice and ordered the book through inter-library loan.

Today, I decided to spend some of my Christmas money on the following books: Lamin Sanneh's Summoned from the Margin: Homecoming of an African, Liao Yiwu's God is Read: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China, and James Moorhead's Princeton Seminary in American Religion and Culture (another Fea recommendation). The first two I may use for my projected fall 2013 course on "Global Christianity," and the last is based purely on my interest in Samuel Miller and the founding of Princeton Seminary. I wonder if I can finish these books before the spring semester begins.