This companion to "History of the World Christian Movement explores how varied and multi-cultural Christian origins and history really are.

This companion to "History of the World Christian Movement explores how varied and multi-cultural Christian origins and history really are.

This thorough, lucid, solidly researched book, the first of two volumes, charts the history of global Christianity.

Describes the first 1,000 years of Christian history, from the early practices and beliefs through the conversion of Constantine as well as documenting its growth to communities in Ethiopia, Armenia, Central Asia, India and China.

This text is designed to serve as a primary source reader. It addresses medieval Christendom in the context of world history. It combines the traditional approach (the medieval Christian tradition found in the church hierarchy and theological development) with the newer approach to cultural diversity - diversity within European Christianity (women mystics, heretics, and popular religion), and diversity without, in a world context (non-European Christianity and relations with Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism).

For too long, the history of Christianity has been told as the triumph of orthodox doctrine imposed through power and hierarchy. In A People's History of Christianity, historian and religion expert Diana Butler Bass reveals an alternate history that includes a deep social ethic and far-reaching inclusivity: "the other side of the story" is not a modern phenomenon, but has always been practiced within the church. Butler Bass persuasively argues that corrective—even subversive—beliefs and practices have always been hallmarks of Christianity and are necessary to nourish communities of faith. In the same spirit as Howard Zinn's groundbreaking work The People's History of the United States, Butler Bass's A People's History of Christianity brings to life the movements, personalities, and spiritual disciplines that have always informed and ignited Christian worship and social activism. A People's History of Christianity authenticates the vital, emerging Christian movements of our time, providing the historical evidence that celebrates these movements as thoroughly Christian and faithful to the mission and message of Jesus.

How did Christian missions happen in the early church from AD 100 to 750? Beginning with a brief look at the social, political, cultural, and religious contexts, Mission in the Early Church tells the story of early Christian missionaries, their methods, and their missiology. This book explores some of the most prominent themes of mission in early Christianity, including suffering, evangelism, Bible translation, contextualization, ministry in Word and deed, and the church. Based on this survey, modern readers are invited to a conversation that considers how early Christian mission might inform global mission thought and practice today.

English translations of Syriac, Armenian, Georgian, Arabic, Coptic, and Ethiopic Christian texts from late antiquity to the early modern period In order to make the writings of Eastern Christianity more widely accessible this volume offers a collection of significant texts from various Eastern Christian traditions, many of which are appearing in English for the first time. The internationally renowned scholars behind these translations begin each section with an informative historical introduction, so that anyone interested in learning more about these understudied groups can more easily traverse their diverse linguistic, cultural, and literary traditions. A boon to scholars, students, and general readers, this ample resource expands the scope of Christian history so that communities beyond Western Christendom can no longer be ignored. Contributors Jesse S. Arlen, Aaron M. Butts, Jeff W. Childers, Mary K. Farag, Philip Michael Forness, John C. Lamoreaux, Jeanne-Nicole Mellon Saint-Laurent, Erin Galgay Walsh, J. Edward Walters, and Jeffrey Wickes.

Who was Horace G. Underwood, and what possible significance could another missionary of the nineteenth century have to help us rethink our approach to global Christianity and mission in the twenty-first century? As the first Protestant missionary to set foot in Korea, "the last hermit kingdom," Underwood is regularly credited with Christianity's unparalleled success and continuing fervent presence in Korea today, including its corps of over 27,000 fulltime missionaries in 170 countries around the globe, second only to the US in the number of missionaries sent to foreign lands. But as extraordinary as his journey to Korea may have been for this arguably most under-recognized Protestant missionary of all time, it may be his journey from it that offers us vital insights for the future of missions. From the making of Underwood through his formative years in England, France, and America, to the Neo-Confucian culture he encountered among the people in Korea, this book culminates with the presentation and analysis of his previously unknown private letters from the years between 1884 and 1898, showing us the gradual process of interculturation he himself underwent as a missionary that allowed him to discover and encourage glocal--global yet local--expression of faith in Korea.

A comprehensive work on doing theology as part of the Catholic ecclesial community in today's world.