“The pattern of current worldwide accelerated Christian expansion and acculturation has not been that of the faithful replication of a model whose original exists in Europe and which can be transplanted elsewhere without alteration. The variety of forms and styles, the complex linguistic idioms and aesthetic traditions, and the differences in music and worship patterns show world Christianity to be hostage to no one cultural expression and restricted to no one geographical center. More languages and idioms are used in reading the Christian scriptures and in Christian liturgy, devotion, worship, and prayer than in any other religion. The unity of Christianity, however defined, has not been at the expense of diversity and variety of cultural idioms and models of faith and practice in use at any one time and in any one church tradition. Christianity today is not just a changing face; its leaders and personalities are changing.” Lamin O. Sanneh, The Changing Face of Christianity
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September 8, 2008 at 12:48 pm
dewde
This isn’t the blog post that showed up in my feed reader
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peace|dewde
September 8, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Jake Belder
To me, that is a beautiful picture. I love the diversified face of Christianity, and, having worshiped in a church community of about 40 people where 12-13 different nations were represented, I have come to believe that we can teach each other so much. Yet I often run into a lot of resistance to this idea, which is unfortunate. But it’s only a matter of time before the non-Western face of Christianity becomes so prominent that only the ignorant will ignore it. It is going to have radical impacts and make significant changes to the Church.
I can’t wait!