The geographical epicenter of our faith shift from its centuries-old home base in the West.
Globally speaking, the church is at a significant crossroads right now. We’re watching the geographical epicenter of our faith shift from its centuries-old epicenter in the West to the Global South, where it continues to grow at encouraging rates.
In his book The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South, professor Phillip Jenkins argues that 60% of the world’s population of Christians right now live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
By 2050, we’ll see these numbers shift even further; estimates indicated that there will be approximately 3 billion Christians in the world, 75% of whom will live on the aforementioned continents otherwise known as the Global South.
Despite this newfound reality, many have long considered Christianity a western religion—it’s been associated with American culture, ideals, and practices for many generations. Alexis de Tocqueville, upon his visit to the United States, observed in his famed work Democracy in Americathat “there is no country in the whole world in which the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America.”
These words, originally written in the mid-19th century, might not ring quite so true to us as they once did over 100 years ago. Given Christianity’s dramatic shift from the West to the South, many worry about the future of the Christian faith in America.
Some find themselves asking: In light of the changing life of the church, what exactly will the nation look like ten years from now?
Let me briefly mention to trends that will grow more prominent in years to come: the rise of secularlism and the diversification of evangelicalism.
The rise of secularism
Few would doubt that America ...
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