Polycentric Structures in the History of World Christianity

 

Abstract:

<span font-size:17.5px;background-color:#dfeef7;"="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Christianity has been global from its very beginnings, within the framework of what was known of the world in different periods. But even in times of Western colonialism and at the height of the Western missionary movement, “globalization” has never been identical with “Europeanization”. There always has existed a plurality of regional centers of expansion, indigenous initiatives and cultural versions of Christianity which later contributed significantly to the making of Christianity as a World Religion. The current article gives an introduction to the concept of “polycentric structures in the history of World Christianity”. It commends a paradigm shift in studying Christianity as a global movement by giving examples from countries such as India, Ethiopia, South Korea, Sierra Leone, etc, calling a deep reflection upon the current situation of world Christianity.


Keywords:

World Christianity, Polycentric Structures, religion, global, indigenous


Full Text (International Version):

Klaus KOSCHORKESCN JSCC.pdf

Full Text (Simplified Chinese Version):

Klaus KOSCHORKESCN JSCC.pdf