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518
book reviews
Douglas Jacobsen
Global Gospel: An Introduction to Christianity on Five Continents. Grand Rapids,mi:
Baker Academic, 2015. Paperback $21.99.isbn9780801049934.
Global Gospel approaches the disparities of Christianity spanning several con- tinents and cultures. Following his 2011 release of The World’s Christians: Who They Are, Where They Are, and How They Got There, Douglas Jacobsen has once again provided an invaluable work which highlights the cultural trends, geo- graphical data, and demographical contexts of Christianity. Complete with visual aids such as charts, tables, graphs, and maps, Jacobsen engages the Chris- tian community on a global level that bypasses prejudices and encourages dialogue between Christians from various regions. Jacobsen wonders how the segregation of the global church is a prevalent issue in such an age where the planet has experienced a globalization of international communication and experience. While the world interacts in areas such as business, education, and politics, Christians seem to be disinterested in connecting and conversing with other Christians from around the world.
The book contains seven chapters excluding the introduction and conclu- sion, which are equally as captivating as the content they precede and sum- marize. The first chapter offers the history of the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem outward. Complete with global percentages and a timeline of the prevalence of each tradition, chapter two addresses four primary traditions of Christianity, identified by Jacobsen as Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Pentecostalism. The remaining five chapters are organized geographically, each dedicated to a continent in which Christianity is contex- tually analyzed in relationship to regional culture, and history.
From the onset, Jacobsen provides a historical analysis of the spread of Christianity by the early Christian movement. He asserts that even amongst the differences between the apostles, the early Christian community embraced their theological nuances so that they could maintain unity within the global movement (p. 1). From here, Jacobsen identifies the birth and spread of Chris- tianity at first in the Roman Empire, and then into Asia, Africa, Europe, and eventually into North America and Latin America (pp. 2–13). Contrary to the perception of Europeans andWesterners even today, Jacobsen stresses that two thirds of the world’s Christians live in Asia, Africa, and Latin America (p. xv).
Beyond the ambiguity of current denominational lines, Jacobsen draws attention to the four major Christian traditions and proceeds to emphasize the social organization of each tradition. While the Catholic and Orthodox tradi- tions maintain their status as churches, Protestantism and Pentecostalism are better identified as movements, according to Jacobsen. Furthermore, Jacob-
© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2016 | doi: 10.1163/15700747-03804014
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sen contends that while Protestantism contains several competing denomina- tions, Pentecostalism houses denominations and associations wherein influ- ence from one to another can be felt and even cause assimilation in some instances (p. 19). He further assesses each tradition and juxtaposes them in dif- ferences and variation.
Christianity in Africa is separated into the early movement with its rise in Egypt and Ethiopia and the more recent and enduring movement from the 1400s to today (pp. 42–43). Jacobsen illustrates how Islam gained momentum during the decline of Christianity in Africa following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632. He asserts that the influence of Portuguese traders and missionaries gave rise again to Christianity in the late 1400s when Portugal sought out those who might become allies against the spread of the Muslim faith. Jacobsen insists that the Muslim presence in Africa for so long is felt even today with the Christian population of Northern Africa as under 20%, while Southern Africa consists of over 80% Christians. Chapter three also delves into the nation’s issues with violence as well as African theologies of reconciliation (p. 65).
The Latin American Christian population is primarily Catholic according to Jacobsen’s data (p. 73). Once again, he traces Christianity back to its entrance into the region where the Portuguese are credited once more. Jacobsen pro- duces the historical account of the social stratification of Latin America based upon ethnicity. which included African slaves, indigenous Latin Americans, Creoles, and others, and based too, upon political and religious intellectual- ism (pp. 81–82). As expected, Jacobsen also addresses the rise of Pentecostalism (p. 90), the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the 1960s and 1970s (p. 94), and Liberation Theology birthed out of the Christian community of Latin America between the 1970s and the 1980s (p. 96).
Europe is portrayed, by Jacobsen, as an epicenter for the spread of early Christianity. Jacobsen contends that millions of pilgrims will travel to Europe to experience the rich Christian heritage that is irrefutably evident in places such as Italy, Spain, France, and Portugal each year (p. 107). As he guides the reader through the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and into present day Europe, Jacobsen paints the picture of European Christianity with vibrant expressions of historical events, clashes of culture, and shifts of power that affected the rise, decline, and adaptation of Christianity over time. Jacobsen approaches various European trends such as secularization, immigration, and scientific reason. In each, he suggests that European Christianity has influ- enced culture and hasbeeninfluencedbyculture.
Asian Christianity is the first kind of Christianity, as Jacobsen claims (p. 147). After stating that Jerusalem lies in Asia and was the launching pad for Chris-
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tianity into the rest of the world, Jacobsen insists that Christianity moved just as rapidly into the East as it did into Europe and Africa. After following the journeys of the early church into India, China, and other parts of Asia, Jacobsen concludes that the Byzantine Empire influenced and gave rise to Christianity in Asia until the spread of Islam (p. 152). However, Jacobsen revisits the highs and lows of Christianity in the region throughout the Crusades and during other prominent moments of Asia’s history. He even goes on to contrast Christian theology and other Asian spirituality of India and China, and addresses the interfaith dilemma.
The youngest continent on which Christianity has spread is North America. Jacobsen follows the Christian movement from the colonial era, throughout the World Wars, and into other significant events such as the Civil Rights Move- ment. While Jacobsen asserts that most North American theology is derivative of European theology,he also draws attentionto the events and history of North America and the unique theologies constructed from the experiences of its inhabitants.
Jacobsen provides a rare resource inGlobal Gospel. The data, visual aids, and theological origins of Christianity from its five major continents are a gift to scholar and student alike. Although the book lacks theological reflection on the doctrinal variances from each culture and continent, the historical element Jacobsen includes, however, is exceptional.
Stetson Glass
Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida
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