1. The
Changing Demography of Christianity
Despite the
secularisation of the western world during the last century and its effects,
there has been a worldwide Christian resurgence, especially in Africa, Latin
America and Asia. Since World War II, Christianity has become one of the
principle religions of the global South. Regions that were once outside the
main orbit of Christianity have become major centres of Christian impact, while
Europe, once the religion’s heartland, is in noticeable recession. The
strongholds of Christianity are no longer Rome and Canterbury, but Lagos,
Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, Manila and Seoul. In 1900 some 90% of Christians lived
in Europe and North America, by 1970 this had dropped to 57%. Today only 35% of
Christians live in Europe and North America, and two thirds of all Christians
live in the global South. Soon, more than half of the Christians in the world
will be Africans and Latin Americans, and Christianity is still expanding
rapidly in Asian countries, especially China. These massive cultural and
geographical shifts and realignments have enormous implications.
2. The Changing Character of Christianity
But it is not only the
numbers that have shifted; it is also the character of Christianity that has
changed. With these shifts have come massive cross-cultural patterns of religious
encounter, affecting a great variety and diversity of Christianities, bringing
about structural changes, variations of liturgies, theological views and
ecclesiastical traditions, ideas of authority and leadership patterns, processes
of indigenization producing new religious art, music, hymns, songs, and
prayers—all these have fundamentally altered the face of Christianity today. In
addition, at least a quarter of the world’s Christians are thought to belong to
some version of Pentecostalism, including Charismatic renewals in Catholic,
Anglican and Protestant churches, and this proportion is much higher outside
the western world. This is because Christians in the South live in a spiritual
universe that is not dichotomised; and they can with one breath speak about
political, social or economic liberation, and liberation from supernatural evil
forces. Some of this language sounds strange and sometimes offensive to western
ears. The majority of Christians are also conservative in doctrine and
behaviour, allowing the anti-gay laws in Uganda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe to
receive widespread approval by a range of churches. We have witnessed the
tensions in the worldwide Anglican Communion over similar issues, with these
conservative forces led by the primate of the world’s largest Anglican church
in Nigeria.
3. Networks of Churches and World Communions
Protestantism has a
history of schisms, and these have continued into the twenty-first century.
There are thousands of Christian denominations worldwide today. It is in the
nature of Protestantism to schism because of the focus on the authority of the
local church. But there are also ‘world communions’ of major Protestant
denominations including Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists and
Reformed. These communions are usually networks of independent churches that
are predominated by churches from the South. Many of the new megachurches in
the world are Charismatic, and are run by particularly gifted individuals.
Notwithstanding the real dangers that their individualism and fierce
independence brings, these churches often network together in ways that are
non-hierarchical and decentralised. Just as the world has recoiled from
colonialism, there is increasing opposition and resentment against any sort of
ecclesiastical control from the North. The Anglican Communion is holding itself
together precariously. The new Pope Francis, the first ever pope from outside
Europe although with the familiar Italian ancestry, has breathed new life into
the Catholic Church. But if Catholicism is to avoid increasing decline the
Curia will need to decentralise further and give more independence to the
various cardinals and archbishops in the global South. The latest appointment
of cardinals has signalled Francis’ willingness to do this, with nine of the
sixteen new voting cardinals from Latin America (5), Asia (2) and Africa (2).
This bodes well for the future and one wonders whether there will ever be a
European pope again.
So, my answer to the debate question is
therefore for me a no-brainer. Whether we like it or not, the historic churches
will be forced to devolve or they will continue to decline.
