A great four-volume history presenting in comprehensive perspective, within the limits of a single narrative, the various attempts to plant and develop Christianity in Africa. The method of presentation is chronological rather than regional, taking the whole story forward stage by stage rather than dealing completely with one region at a time. As Groves shows in his continental survey, Christianity is now in the midst of its third great attempt to occupy Africa. Volume I (to 1840) deals with the land and its people; Christianity in the Apostolic Age; the early church in North Africa; Islam; slavery; the formation of Missionary Societies and the arrival of David Livingstone. Volume II (1840-1878) covers the years in which the Christian faith ' following the trail-blazing of Livingstone and Stanley in Central Africa and the Congo respectively ' leaped ahead and became one of the formative factors in African life Volume III (1878-1914) continues the account of the European penetration into Africa and describes the effect of the 'scramble for Africa' on the work of the various Christian missions and the growth of the Christian Churches. Volume IV (1914-1954) surveys the period after the First World War in which startling and momentous changes took place, with upheavals in African society which have permanently affected the spread and influence of Christianity, and goes up to the era of decolonisation, which created an entirely new social and political background for the churches.

The assumption that Christianity in India is nothing more than a European, western, or colonial imposition is open to challenge. Those who now think and write about India are often not aware that Christianity is a non-western religion, that in India this has always been so, and that there are now more Christians in Africa and Asia than in the West. Recognizing that more understanding of the separate histories and cultures of the many Christian communities in India will be needed before a truly comprehensive history of Christianity in India can be written, this volume addresses particular aspects of cultural contact, with special reference to caste, conversion, and colonialism. Subjects addressed range from Sanskrit grammar to populist Pentecostalism, Urdu polemics and Tamil poetry.

This book is about the Basel Mission in the Gold Coast (now Ghana) before the First World War. Miller reconstructs the backgrounds and motivations of the mission's participants and describes the organizational structure that shaped their activities at home and abroad. He then traces some serious and recurrent internal problems to the commitment to difficult Pietist beliefs about authority and obedience. The organization survived those troubles and its impact on Ghana continued to grow, because the same biblical worldview that demanded extreme discipline also prepared the members of the mission community to sustain their efforts.

This is a groundbreaking study of the relationship between Christianity and collective violence in late nineteenth century China. Using American Baptist and English Presbyterian examples in the Guangdong province, the book examines the scale of Chinese conversions, the creation of Christian villages and the power relations between Christians, non-Christians and between different Christian denominations.
The spread of Christianity needs to be understood in the context of intense violence within and between villages and lineages, and patterns of conversion often following the lines of existing communal divisions.
This book is based on a very comprehensive foundation of data and the Protestant missionary and Chinese archival materials are supplemented with fieldwork data that were collected in several Christian villages.

This book is a study of the changing relationship over time (1856-1994) between the Rishi, an ex-Untouchable jati of Bengal/South-West Bangladesh, and various groups of Catholic missionaries. The book's originality and importance lies in its multi-disciplinary approach, which combines anthropological fieldwork, historical research, philosophical enquiry and contemporary missiological debates. Moreover, it addresses issues of great current relevance in its discussions of Orientalism, Neo-colonialism and Otherness.

This encyclopedia is a comprehensive survey and analysis of the main philosophical, scientific (or empirical), and theological studies of mission in the 19th and 20th centuries. It deals with (1) the names, (2) the concepts, (3) the methods, and (4) the branches of missiology. Therefore, it concludes with four chapters after an introductory chapter. Since most branches of missiology only came into existence in the 19th century, most analyses, descriptions, and bibliographies do not go back beyond 1800. Both the philosophy of mission and the science of mission are dealt with in this first volume. The theology of mission, especially the missionary theology, is thoroughly discussed in the second volume.

Through the Eyes of Christmas: Keys to unlocking the spirit of Christmas in your heart by Ron Davis. How will you get into the Christmas spirit this year? Each December, most of us face that same question as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. Whether we will admit it to ourselves or not, we all yearn for true Christmas spirit in our hearts and homes each year. We want our Christmas to be one of peace on earth and goodwill towards men just as the angel announced to the shepherds. But after the shopping, wrapping, and relatives, often our Christmas experience is far from peaceful and there is little goodwill to go around. We pull out the same decorations, put up the same tree in the same corner, with the same wreath on the same front door. We do the same Christmas stuff in the same Christmas way as last year and wonder why we get the same result-no lasting Christmas joy. Is true Christmas spirit a myth? Or, have we become so preoccupied with the hustle and bustle of the season that we unwittingly buy the secularized version of Christmas? It is only then that we discover the substitute the retailers are selling has no real Christmas spirit. Our disappointment is that we do Christmas things but still fail to see Christmas spirit in our hearts. So how do you find Christmas spirit? What are the keys to unlocking Christmas spirit in our hearts? Pastors must ask those same questions as they prepare their Christmas sermons. Recent research tells us that 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas, but over half have forgotten why. A majority of Americans now celebrate Christmas as primarily a cultural holiday, rather than recognizing the real reason for the season. Less than half of the millennials surveyed said they were planning to attend religious services on Christmas. What are Pastors going to preach Christmas Sunday that is inspired and anointed? And after 2,000 years, what can they possibly say that is fresh, relevant, and will make a real difference in the lives of their parishioners? To avoid losing the real meaning of Christmas, Pastors need to remind their people of the true purpose the coming of Christmas has for our lives. They must rediscover the spirit of Christmas in their hearts. But how? Through the Eyes of Christmas reveals the keys to unlocking Christmas spirit in your heart. By looking deep into the lives of the first Christmas participants, the book refocuses our vision to see Christmas from a fresh perspective. What were Mary and Joseph focused on that first Christmas night? When we relive Christmas by looking through the eyes of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men and all of the other well-known (and some not so well-known) characters of the Christmas story, we discover what they were focused on. We see the Biblical truths their stories reveal. That brings the true, lasting joy of Christmas spirit into our lives. When those truths are applied to your life, it will be said of you as it was of Charles Dicken's Ebenezer Scrooge, "...he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge." Order Ron Davis' compelling and well-written book Through the Eyes of Christmas now to make this Christmas your best Christmas ever!

Addresses the nature of the influence of the European Enlightenment on the beliefs and practice of the Protestant missionaries who went to Asia and Africa from the mid-eighteenth century onwards, particularly British missions and the formative role of the Scottish Enlightenment on their thinking.

It used to be that providing clear evidence for the resurrection of Jesus or the reliability of the Bible was a pretty effective way to reach people with the Good News. But today, many folks think all truth is relative, even our historical and scientific data about Christianity. So how can we reach them? We need new ways of telling people the old, old story. We need to look again at our usual mental habits if we want to reach people who have a brand new mindset of their own. We need to get outside the box of ideas and practices that are sacred to us but are not sacred to God. That's what Rick Richardson's book is all about. Here are fresh perspectives on relying on the Holy Spirit, awakening spiritual interest in others, appealing to what they value (instead of what we think they should value) and leading them into a transforming experience with God. Also included is Richardson's Circles of Belonging, a new, straightforward presentation of the message of Jesus (yes, it can even be sketched out on a napkin ) that is true to Scripture and true to the new way people live and think. As an experienced evangelist and leader of evangelism programs, Richardson offers in this helpful book the principles and practices that will help us all grow in love for--and communicate effectively with--people who need Jesus.

Examines how great missionary figures were crucial to their own time and were not only agents of change, but also some of Europe's first historians.

Missionaries brought Christian belief and culture to the pagan societies of Dark Age Europe.

The roles and aims of the missionaries provide a starting point for the history of early medieval Europe. While spiritualism is examined Ian Wood also focuses on the darker side of missionary life - flagellation, starvation, torture - as well as sanctity. Contemporary willing and unwilling evangelism relates to some of these first Christian pioneers.

How to Heal the Sick, Cast Out Demons, Raise the Dead--and More! The Bible says that if you belong to Jesus, you have the power to: * heal the sick * cast out demons * bring deliverance to those trapped in spiritual darkness * prophesy in his name * call forth creative miracles * receive supernatural words of wisdom and knowledge * even raise the dead So why do so many Christians live powerless lives? Why do they operate with so little faith? Having gone through his own journey from doubt to belief, Chicagoland pastor Robby Dawkins now ministers and speaks internationally, and where he goes, miracles happen. In these pages he shares incredible stories of God using ordinary people to do the impossible. And he shows that, when you begin to have faith in the power of God, take him at his Word, and understand his love for you, you will see his power released in healings, financial blessings, and miracles of all kinds.

Today the world is as close as an airplane flight. Thousands take advantage of this, going for short visits to other countries to be more involved in God's worldwide mission. How can you prepare for such a trip? What are the hazards to avoid and the opportunities to embrace? Here is field-tested advice you should not leave home without Mack and Leeann Stiles are veteran leaders of more than a dozen two-month mission trips that have taken them around the globe. Their practical advice, hard-won lessons and hilarious stories will help you know what to expect as you get ready to see God in action in new ways. This book offers you the keys to establishing partnerships with sending churches learning from your hosts in the countries you visit becoming a culturally sensitive person overcoming the shortcomings of short-term missions growing a servant spirit learning to trust God, your hosts and yourself facing injustice with realism and compassion speaking about Jesus in a way that makes sense in a new culture dealing with reentry culture shock when you get back home Short mission trips can put feet on your knowledge of God and give you a God-sized picture of the world. In the process of going you will grow, and even though you may feel inadequate or scared, you will also give much to those you go to.

This collection of historical and theological essays re-assesses the centenary history of the Church Missionary Society by Eugene Stock and of the strategic vision of Henry Vann, one of the two architects of the Three-Self theory of the indigenous church. There are chapters on the close links between the CMS and the Basel Mission, female missionaries, and regional studies of Samuel Crowther and the Niger mission, Iran, the Middle East, New Zealand, India and Kikuyu Christianity. The text makes a contribution to literature on indigenization of missionary traditions and should be of interest to historians of the missionary movement and non-Western Christianity, as well as to theologians concerned with religious pluralism and mission.

For over five hundred years, since the great age of exploration, Western Christians have visited, traded with, conquered and colonized large parts of the non-Western world. In virtually every case this contact has been accompanied by an attempt to spread Christianity.

This volume explores the manner in which Western missionary Christianity has been shaped and transformed through contact with the peoples of Peru, Mexico, Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, and Japan. Indigenous Responses to Western Christianity demonstrates how local populations, who initially encountered Christianity as a mixture of religion, culture, politics, ethics and technology, selected those elements they felt suited their needs. The conversion of the local population, the volume shows, was usually accompanied by a significant indigenization of Christianity. Through the detailed examination and comparison of events in a range of countries and cultures, this book points provides a deeper understanding of mission history and the dynamics of Christianity's expansion. The encounter with Western Christianity is vital to the history of contact between Western and non-Western civilizations. Western Christians have visited, traded with, conquered and colonized large parts of the non-Western world for over five hundred years, and their migration has almost always been accompanied by an attempt to create new Christians in new lands. Just as indigenous people have been converted however, so too has Christianity become variously indigenized. Local populations initially encounter a Christian package of religion, culture, politics, ethics and technology. This volume illustrates the ways in which peoples have selected elements of this package to suit their specific needs, and so explores the myriad transformations missionary Christianity has undergone through contact with the peoples of Peru, Mexico, Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China and Japan. Contributing are Erik Cohen (University of Jerusalem), Yochanan Bar Yafe Szeminski ?, John F. Howes ?, D. Dennis Hudson ?, Daniel H. Bays (University of Kansas), and Eric Van Young (University of California, San Diego). The chapters are linked by their attempt to overcome conventional regional and disciplinary barriers in order to achieve a deeper understanding of mission history and the dynamics of the expansion of Christianity. A remarkable work, this volume will pave the way for entirely new approaches to a particularly complex and demanding subject.

Series Information:
Gender, Culture and Global Politics

As the twentieth century passed its midpoint and was rushing toward its end, a growing number of Majority World theologians came to realize that they could in fact do theology in their own contexts for the benefit of their own people. Thus, from the 1960s onward, theologians in the global South have embarked on a form of theological construction that has sometimes been described as 'contextual' reflection or 'contextualized theology'. This volume is motivated by the conviction that these efforts have resulted in theological work that is also beneficial for Christians in other parts of the world. The editors have invited Majority World theologians to share their reflections on several themes of Christian faith from their own socio-historical perspectives but with an unswerving commitment to the authority of Scripture. It is hoped that these fresh reflections will help Christians in the West to engage and benefit from the perspectives of fellow believers in the global South.

The first full-length biography of Rev. Long, one of the most remarkable Protestant missionaries working in India in the 19th century, examining his work and activities in the context of his own background, philosophy and motivation as well as the political and cultural climate of the day.

It's no secret that the evangelism methods of yesterday are not yielding the kinds of results they did in the 1970s and 1980s. So how are new Christians hearing the Gospel today? How are they finding churches? And what makes them stay at a church? The answers to these questions have the power to dramatically alter the way we do outreach. And Dr. McIntosh has them. Based on ten years of scientific research, Growing God's Church shows pastors and church leaders how people are actually coming to faith in the 21st century. It covers factors such as our motive for ministry, the priorities churches set for themselves, the reality of churchless Christians, generational and gender-based differences in evangelism effectiveness, the name of your church, the influence of pastors, and much more. The appendix includes a copy of the survey that provides the basis for McIntosh's arguments and an overview of the study is provided in the first chapter.

Christian missions in Africa are commonly seen as a blatant example of ethnocentrism. This stereotype partly persists because the day-today interaction between missionaries and Africans has so rarely been studied. This book shows how Africans and missionaries co-produced a Catholic Church in the Uluguru mountains of eastern Tanzania in the late colonial period, and thereby adapted each others' routines in the fields of initiation, education, magic, and religion in Africa by showing how the presence of the mission resulted in a rift between spiritual and worldly magic, and in the underdevelopment of the capacity of Waluguru to mange their own practices of revelation.

Jesus sends us into the world just as God the Father sent him - and yet Christians continue to disagree on what this involves. Some believe that the focus of Christian mission is evangelizing and 'saving souls'. Others emphasize global justice issues or relief and development work. Is either view correct on its own? John Stott's classic volume, first published forty years ago, presents an enduring view of Christian mission that is just as needed today. Newly updated and expanded by Christopher J. H. Wright, Christian Mission in the Modern World provides a biblically based approach to mission that addresses both spiritual and physical needs. With his trademark clarity and conviction, Stott illuminates how the Great Commission itself not only assumes the proclamation that makes disciples, but also teaches obedience to the Great Commandment of love and service. Wright has expertly updated the original book and demonstrates the continuing relevance of Stott's prescient thinking. This balanced approach to mission encourages current and future Christians to embrace an unconflicted and holistic model of ministry.

The word-wide impact of evangelicalism has long been recognized as a vital force. Providing both a clear and accessible guide to the recent literature, this introduction examines the revival in the British Isles during the 18th and 19th-century within a broadly international context.
By investigating the nature of the revival and emphasizing its link with popular culture, this analysis explores the centrality of religion in this period. Posing questions such a "how far was the revival a threat to order?" And "what was its influence on society?" This work provides an introduction to the topic for all A-level and undergraduate students of 18th and 19th-century British history.

While the world was reading one story, God was writing another. In 1977, amidst the bitterly cold days of the frigid Cold War, a young couple responded to God's dramatic call on their lives to go and live covertly behind The Iron Curtain. Filled with faith and buffeted by fear, they left the familiarity of family and the security of NATO to locate behind enemy lines inside Communist Poland in order to establish a Kingdom beachhead of evangelism and discipleship. From award-winning author Debby Thompson, Pulling Back the Iron Curtain is a collection of personal and intimate stories revealing a firsthand account of that unique assignment. Now, with authenticity and vulnerability, this pioneer missionary makes known to the world the tender and dramatic workings of God even behind the Iron Curtain.