The Dynamics of Christianity around the World

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, whether a person's experience of Christianity is evangelical or just awareness of ancestors who long ago adopted the religion, there is often the idea of Christianity as a catalyst for positive change. The author points out that the theme of monotheism as superior and as a marker of civilization combines well with other stabilizing projects wherever Christianity is taken. The paper relates that, if a religion favors one god that values humble efforts at getting along with others, a powerful personal philosophy for dignity can be found in situations of poverty and perhaps extreme oppression. The author underscores that, in the early 21st century, the same cycle of Christian myths and allegories continues even in a world that seems more secular, devoted to a religion of consumerism. The paper states that the early 21st century is dramatized as a time of Muslim and Christian activism, including theories of colliding civilizations, religions and cultures; however, this situation has become merely as politicized as they were in the Middle Ages. The paper describes Christianity in several countries.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
In the Beginning
One God Better
Underdogs, Again
Christian Myths
Christian Beginnings
Into the Present
Concluding Remarks

From the Paper:

"The New Testament repeats the message of God preferring the humble of the earth, forgiving every kind of human sin if an individual, of any kind, makes a genuine effort to turn over a new leaf. The New Testament appends the letters of Paul, a reprobate turned Christian, who went to tell Gentiles of the good news, the divine nature of the departed Jesus and the hope that he offered to ordinary people. A favorite Christian theme, in keeping with its roots in Judaism and what came later in Islam, is the superiority of one god above polytheistic religions."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Goodman, Martin. "The Emergence of Christianity" in A. Hastings. Ed. A. Hastings. A World History of Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI and Cambridge: Eerdmans, 1999.
• Hastings, Adrian. The Church in Africa, 1450-1950. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press - Clarendon, 1994.
• "Introduction" in Ed. A World History of Christianity, 1999.
• "Latin America" in A World History of Christianity, 1999.
• McIntire, C.T. "Historical Study and the Historical Dimension of Our World" in Eds. C.T. McIntire and R. Wells. History and Historical Understanding. Grand Rapids, MI and Cambridge: Eerdmans, 1984.

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