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What does the future hold for Christianity? There appear to be two general schools of thought on the matter: one argues that Christianity is getting more liberal and in fact will continue down that road in the future while the other argues that, on the contrary, Christianity will have to get more and more conservative.
Among the most visible proponents of the former view is Bishop John Shelby Spong. For years, Spong has been writing books offering his own critiques of conservative and traditional Christian beliefs and doctrines. His latest, "A New Christianity for a New World," argues that Christianity needs to even abandon it's traditional acceptance of theism in order to survive into the future.
Spong's main argument is that theism has simply become outdated and, if Christianity is going to survive through the rest of this century, then it is going to have to undergo some radical changes. Is he right? Is it necessary for Christianity to change in order to survive?
Spong's argument is questionable, and a recent book from Philip Jenkins serves as an interesting counterbalance to Spong's. In "The Next Christendom," Jenkins describes how Christianity in the Southern Hemisphere is very different from the Northern Hemisphere - the place which is, coincidentally, where most other studies of Christianity are conducted.
If Jenkins is correct, by the year 2050, six countries (Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, Nigeria, Congo and the United States) will each have at least 100 million Christians. Europe will have long been displaced by Sub-Saharan Africa as the principle center of Christianity, while Brazil itself will have at least 150 million Catholics and 40 million Protestants. More than one billion Pentecostals, among the poorest in their various populations, will be spreading their own beliefs to the rest of the world.
Most books on Christianity today tend to focus on the experiences of the Christians in the United States and Europe - hardly a surprise, since that is where most of the audience for books tends to be located. This may also be a reason why so many of the books on the future of Christianity tend to argue for the idea that is is becoming increasing liberal in nature. However, this bias provides an uneven and inaccurate picture of the real nature of global Christianity.
More About These Books:
A New Christianity for a New World, by John Shelby Spong. Published by Harper San Francisco.
Compare PricesThe Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, by Philip Jenkins. Published by Oxford University Press.
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