Christian History Home > Issue 65 > The Ten Most Influential Christians of the Twentieth Century: From the Editor - The Long and the Short of Lists
The Ten Most Influential Christians of the Twentieth Century: From the Editor - The Long and the Short of Lists
Mark Galli | posted 1/01/2000 12:00AM
The journalist in me is pretty happy with this issue's title, "The 10 Most Influential Christians of the Twentieth Century." It's got bite, appeal, and it begs for an argument. And I had a lot of fun pulling the list together: after reading the results of our poll (see "What Do You Think?") and sifting that through my experience and reading, this is what came out.
On the other hand, the historian in me is nagged by the qualifications that whisper their disapproval.
First, among the readers and scholars we polled last year, one exclaimed: "I am amazed by the list of candidates … as if the entire church consisted of Westerners!" Valid criticism.
Then again, had we put, let's say, Africans John Chilembwe and Simeoni Nsibambi on this list, would they have garnered many votes? I doubt it. Nearly all Christian History readers and scholars (and the editor) are Westerners; we know the West; we've been affected by the West. We could hardly vote any other way. Besides, influential Westerners in the ... To view this item, you must be a member of ChristianHistory.net.
|
If you ARE a member
of ChristianHistory.net…
Please login:
| |
If you are NOT a member
of ChristianHistory.net…
Please click here to see our membership options. As a member, you will be able to have access to all of the content on ChristianHistory.net.
|
|
Browse More ChristianHistory.net
Home | Browse by Topic | Browse by Period | The Past in the Present | Books & Resources
| |
|
