Christianity in Asia explores the history, development, and current state of Christianity across the world’s largest and most populous continent. Offers detailed coverage of the growth of Christianity within South Asia; among the thousands of islands comprising Southeast Asia; and across countries whose Christian origins were historically linked, including Vietnam, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea Brings together a truly international team of contributors, many of whom are natives of the countries they are writing about Considers the Middle Eastern countries whose Christian roots are deepest, yet have turbulent histories and uncertain futures Explores the ways in which Christians in Asian countries have received and transformed Christianity into their local or indigenous religion Shows Christianity to be a vibrant contemporary movement in many Asian countries, despite its comparatively minority status in these regions

Named by the International Bulletin of Missionary Studies as an Outstanding Book of 2014 for Mission Studies Despite the ongoing global expansion of Christianity, there remains a lack of comprehensive scholarship on its development in Asia. This volume fills the gap by exploring the world of Asian Christianity and its manifold expressions, including worship, theology, spirituality, inter-religious relations, interventions in society, and mission. The contributors, from over twenty countries, deconstruct many of the widespread misconceptions and interpretations of Christianity in Asia. They analyze how the growth of Christian beliefs throughout the continent is linked with the socio-political and cultural processes of colonization, decolonization, modernization, democratization, identity construction of social groups, and various social movements. With a particular focus on inter-religious encounters and emerging theological and spiritual paradigms, the volume provides alternative frames for understanding the phenomenon of conversion and studies how the scriptures of other religious traditions are used in the practice of Christianity within Asia.

Taking the analysis of worldwide Christianity to a deeper level of detail, this volume focuses on Christianity in East and Southeast Asia, covering every country and offering both reliable demographic information and original interpretative essays by indigenous scholars and practitioners. It maps patterns of growth and decline, assesses major traditions and movements, analyses key themes, and examines current trends. As a comprehensive account of the presence of Christianity in every country in East and Southeast Asia, this volume is set to become a standard work of reference in its field.

A ground-breaking introductory textbook for the study of the New Testament and the first Christians, written for the next generation of students Comparing Christianities: An Introduction to the New Testament and the First Christians maps the historical rise of Christianity out of a network of early Christian movements. This major new textbook systematically explores the struggles to define the faith by presenting Christianity as the result of a lengthy process of religious consolidation which emerged from a landscape of persistent Christian diversity. The book delves into the history of the first five generations of Christians, from Paul to Origen. The first chapter considers the challenges of constructing Christian histories and offers a new model of Christian families to organize and explain the emergence and competition of different varieties of Christianity. Each successive chapter focuses on key issues that Christian leaders engaged over the centuries, demonstrating how the questions they posed and the answers they provided gave Christianity its distinct shape. As the movements competed for social advantage, Christians began identifying certain Christian movements as enemies and consolidated against them. The final chapter schematizes the Christians studied in the book into three families of Christian movements based on the particular God they worshipped and other shared patterns of thought and practice. This chapter also explains where the varieties of Christianities came from and how the process of consolidation undertaken by some churches shaped Christian identity within a forge of intolerance that still affects us today. Comparing Christianities explores the answers to questions: Who were the early Christians and what did they write? What did Christians think about sex, women, immortality, Judaism, suffering and death? What rituals did the first Christians practice, and what did their religious experiences mean to them? How did Christians live in a Roman-dominated world? How did the first Christians explain the origins of their movement? Comparing Christianities: An Introduction to the New Testament and the First Christians serves as an excellent primary textbook in undergraduate classrooms for Introduction to Christianity, Introduction to Religion, New Testament Studies, Christian Origins, World Religions, and Western World Religions, and a thought-provoking resource for anyone wishing to know more about Christianity.

This book briefly recounts the history of the establishment and expansion of Christianity during the colonial and post-colonial eras. With the exception of the Philippines, Christianity has been a minor religion in much of Southeast Asia, albeit one whose followers have sometimes played key roles in developing education and social services. Although statistically small, evangelical Christian groups in particular are trying to increase membership and influence, which may have adverse reactions in the countries whose populations are adherents of other major world faiths.

Asia is the birthplace of Christianity, yet the history of Asian Christianity has long been a difficult one. Scott W. Sunquist is a recognized expert on the history of the Christian faith in Asia, and these essays cover Asian Christianity in broad perspective, with topics like the history of Christian mission and missionary practice in Asia, theological education, and global migration.

Asian Christian Theology provides a survey of contextually reflective, robustly evangelical theology for students to engage with the core doctrines of Christianity and their outworking in different cultures across Asia. The contributors of the chapters come from all corners of Asia to systematically examine traditional doctrinal themes and contemporary concerns for the Asian church. Ideal for use as a companion textbook in Asian seminaries and institutions, this book will also provide excellent further reading for those outside of Asia seeking global theological perspectives, and for those in contexts of significant Asian diaspora. Many excellent books surveying theology exist, but this book is a major step forward for students and scholars seeking to understand the dynamic environment of evangelical theology in Asia.

This timeline comprises one thousand significant dates for global Christianity. It includes events across all inhabited continents (and also in Antarctica and outer space), emphasizing those occurring in the non-Western world. The detailed annotations on each date are intended as provocative "ignition points" to spark historical curiosity, functioning as "launchpads" into further exploration in global Christianity. For example: -739: What did the finding of the Rotas-Sator palindrome on the walls of an eighth-century Sudanese cave dwelling indicate? -1346: Who were the mysterious Christians in the Javanese Royal Court of Majapahit? -1969: Why was the "secret communion" on the Moon hushed up by NASA? -1992: Why was Paraguay the only Latin American country to include an indigenous language as a national language? Since previous histories of Christianity usually have a European or North American perspective, students will find this book useful for its global coverage. It can be used in three ways. Firstly, it can be used chronologically as a continuous global timeline. It can also be used as a sampling of Christianity in each country, or as an index of significant figures in the history of global Christianity. Each section is cross-referenced to the timeline, making it a valuable resource for historical study.

Asia Pacific Pentecostalism, edited by Denise A. Austin, Jacqueline Grey, and Paul W. Lewis, yields previously untold stories and interdisciplinary analysis of pioneer foundations, denominational growth, leadership training, contextualisation, and community development across East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. Pentecostalism in the Asia Pacific has made an enormous contribution to its global family—from the more visible influence of Yonggi Cho from Korea to the worship revolutions from Australia (particularly associated with Hillsong) and the lesser known missionary activity from Fiji—each region has contributed significantly to global Christianity. Some communities prospered despite hostile environments and wartime devastation. This volume provides a systematic study of the geographical contexts of Asia Pacific Pentecostalism, including historical development, theological influences, and sociological perspectives. Contributors are: Doreen Alcoran-Benavidez, Dik Allan, Connie Au, Denise A. Austin, Edwardneil Benavidez, John Carter, Michael Chase, Yung Hun Choi, Darin Clements, Shane Clifton, Dynnice Rosanny Engcoy, Michael J. Frost, Luisa J. Gallagher, Sarita D. Gallagher, Kellesi Gore, Adonis Abelard O. Gorospe, Jacqueline Grey, James Hosack, Ken Huff, Paul W. Lewis, Lim Yeu Chuen, Mathew Mathews, Jason Morris, Nyotxay (pseudonym), Saw Tint Sann Oo, Selena Y. Z. Su, Masakazu Suzuki, and Gani Wiyono.