Bishop Stephen Neill (1900-1984) was one of the most gifted figures of world Christianity during the twentieth century. Once referred to as a «much-tempted, brilliant, enigmatic man» his voluminous writings reveal little about the scholar himself. From his birth in Edinburgh to his stellar student career in Cambridge to his meteoric rise through the clerical ranks in South India, Bishop Neill's life was also riddled with discord. Based on interviews and archival research in India and England, Bishop Stephen Neill: From Edinburgh to South India answers many of the questions surrounding this distinguished Christian statesman's conflicted life up to the abrupt and puzzling termination of his bishopric. This biographical work takes the reader deep into the life and times of one of the doyens of Christian missions. Intersecting with many remarkable personalities during the first half of his life - William Temple, Amy Carmichael, Malcolm Muggeridge, V. S. Azariah, A. D. Nock, Foss Westcott, and Verrier Elwin - Neill's legacy remains. Through his life, readers will enter into the interwoven contexts of India and England during the final decades of the British Raj. Students of Christian missions and world Christianity will find this book indispensable to their libraries.

Stephen Neill (1900-1984) was a towering figure of twentieth-century global Christianity, but was in many ways a broken man who faced profound and crippling struggles. A Worldly Christian charts the extraordinary but often tragic life of a global Christian pioneer par excellence in a church that diversified dramatically during his lifetime. Privileged to live in radically different cultural contexts over the course of his life, Neill excelled by turns as a missionary and bishop in India, an ecumenist in Geneva, a professor in Hamburg and Nairobi, and a prolific author of some seventy books and hundreds of articles upon his retirement to the UK. Throughout this varied career, he shared his tremendous knowledge of the world Christian movement with scholars, clergy and laypersons alike. Many will find his story compelling, from Christian scholars to all those who have cherished his influential body of work and benefit from his legacy.

This book is a short introduction to one of the most remarkable transformations in the modern world that many people still do not know about. In 1900 more than 80 percent of the world’s Christians lived in Europe and North America and nearly all of the world’s missionaries were sent out “from the West to the rest.” In a dramatic turn of events Christianity experienced a decidedly “Southern shift” during the twentieth century. Today nearly 70 percent of the world’s 2.5 billion Christians live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, while nearly half of all missionaries are being sent out into all the world from places like Brazil, Ethiopia, and South Korea. This book is intended to change the way readers think about the church and challenge the way Western Christians engage in contemporary missions.

"This scientific-historical biography explores the influences that shaped the spirituality of Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur. J. (Hans) Kommers investigates the historical background of Amy's childhood in Millisle and Belfast and provides new and more scholarly information than existing biographies. He researched a variety of Keswick-related literature in order to provide a fuller picture of Amy's connection with the Keswick Convention and their teaching. The descriptions of the life of the millworkers in Belfast, the happenings on the worldwide stage and Victorian missionary work and methods round out the picture to give the reader a greater understanding of Amy Carmichael. These new facts are most enlightening." --Dr Jackuelin Woolcock MB BChir MRCP (Lond), Director Dohnavur Fellowship Corporation, Shoreham by Sea, UK, and Doctor in Dohnavur India 1969-1987 "Triumphant Love: The Contextual, Creative and Strategic Missionary Work of Amy Beatrice Carmichael in South India provides the msot extensive biography thus far of Amy Carmichael (1867-1951), a major figure on the missionary landscape of the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century. She is seen by some as the Protestant mother Teresa (both women worked in India and devoted all of their time and energy to the poor). The book is very well researched. The author states that the purpose of the extensive research he undertook 'was to get a closer and clearer picture of Amy Carmichael as the founder off the Dohnavur Fellowship.' Also, he wanted 'to give a balanced account of her dealings with people and especially her life with God.' He does this. It provides the most comprehensive picture of this remarkable woman. It is the definitive source of reference. J. (Hans) Kommers's view of the life of Amy Carmichael is that of a fellow evangelical. He explains that not only Amy, but many missionaries of her time were inspired by the ideal that all people should have the opportunity to hear of Christ's salvation. According to him, her inspirational work is still relevant today." --Prof. Dr Gijsbert van den Brink, URC Professor for Theology and Science, Faculty of Theology, Free University Amsterdam, the Netherlands

In 1982, David B. Barrett released his 1,000-page World Christian Encyclopedia, which presented a comprehensive quantitative assessment of World Christianity for the first time. This book is the first historical project to analyze Barrett’s archival materials, which shed light not only on the production of the Encyclopedia, but more importantly, on the development of World Christianity as a discipline and the importance of both African Christianity and quantitative perspectives in its history. This book captures innovations at the intersection of World Christianity, mission studies, and the sociology of religion – the kind of interdisciplinary research that makes World Christianity studies unique.

This book presents the only critical study of the public life and legacy of V. S. Azariah (1874-1945), the first Indian bishop of an Anglican diocese and the most successful leader of rural conversion movements to Christianity in modern India. Harper carefully explores Bishop Azariah's work, including his attempts to redress racism and improve social conditions in India, and documents -- for the first time anywhere -- the previously unknown controversy between Bishop Azariah and the great Mahatma Gandhi.

The homosexuality issue is the most pressing dilemma currently facing the churches. Recent controversial church appointments in Britain and America have sparked intense argument and there has been virtually no sign of real dialogue or developing debate.This important and timely book sets out the full range of Christian responses to this critical issue, and offers mature and informed contributions from key figures on all sides of the debate. A vital resource for theological reflection and continuing discussion, this second edition of The May Forward? will be crucial reading for all who are concerned for the issues at stake and for the future and integrity of the churches today.

The training of African Christian ministers had been a matter of concern to the erstwhile International Missionary Council, now merged with the World Council of Churches. The reason was that it was believed by some critics that missionaries gave only low priority to theological training. This book recounts how the missionaries actually trained the indigenous leaders in the mission fields. The study covers the world of British, German, Swiss and American Protestant missionaries as well as that of two Roman Catholic orders in seminary training relating to Anglophone West Africa. The value of the book is that its contents, apart from filling a vacuum in the ecclesiastical history of West Africa, will supply the factual basis upon which an objective evaluation can be given about the efforts of the Western missionary theological training until 1970.