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Christianity Today, July, 2009 |

Does Global Christianity Equal American Christianity?

Historian Mark Noll talks about how U.S. missionaries have—and have not—shaped the faith in other nations.

Interview by David Neff | posted 7/08/2009 09:04AM

No one doubts that American Christianity has had a profound effect on the shape of world Christianity. It's figuring out the exact nature of that influence that still requires investigation and fresh ...

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Johann

Posted: July 15, 2009 10:40 AM

This only touches on the problem. The problem is that the "Christianity" which has swept the Third World is a stupid, nutty, deviant Pentecostalism which is only one step above superstition and paganism. Not only that, but rather than focusing on non-Christians, this plague deliberately targets any other form of Christianity for extinction, no matter how old or well-established. So we see these arrogant Americans going into South America and Eastern Europe and perverting millions of poor and ignorant Catholics and Orthodox into their "churches" with their well-honed cultish techniques of love-bombing, material bribery and Dioneysian charismania. I read a story recently in the NY Times where a couple of these American idiots were denigrating the faith of the Russian Orthodox they were trying to convert, as if this 100 year old cult could teach historical Christianity anything. American Christianity (i.e. Pentecostalism) is a offensive movement that will invite a strong reaction.

Anonymous

Posted: July 10, 2009 9:31 PM


The LDS church is not Christian because they deny the diety of Christ. They are just admit it and stop lying.

http://ketch22.wordpress.com

Posted: July 10, 2009 8:57 PM


Just read "Myth of a Christian Nation"

David L

Posted: July 10, 2009 8:31 PM

The LDS Church (which isn't a Christian Church) goes abroad using the foundation of local folk religions and adapts it to fit their story. They will talk all about the Virgin Mary to South American Catholics without accenting that Mary had a sexual relationship with Elohim and became pregnant. Sadly after surviving the Communist now the Orthodox Church has Western Evangelicals constantly attacking them and trying to convert them while here in America my Bishop tells me not to attempt to convert evangelicals because they are already Christians. I am to focus on sharing the gospel with those that do not know Christ. The American civil religion scares me, thinking that to be an American is to be a Christian and to be a Christian is to be an American. Talk about a lack of humility. Evangelicals would do good to study the missionary work in Alaska in the 1700 and 1800's vs. the Western Missionaries in North America.

steve Duncan

Posted: July 10, 2009 5:02 PM

Don't forgot that the Chuch Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in going onto all the world and it has an impact on the people who become truely converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings resources and knowledge to help people better themselves in these various countries. The gospel is the same for all people in all nations. Example: The family, the home is an essential part and foundation of the gospel for Christ. This is where the parents have a responsibility to expound gospel principles to thier children to bring them up in righteousness.

Brent Vermillion

Posted: July 09, 2009 6:42 AM

The observations are interesting but the reality is that Christianity is growing everywhere in the world right now except Europe (outside of the Muslim world, the most needy place on earth) and the USA (even though 1 out of 3 are christians here there is a general decline taking place). Much like the economy it is no longer just about the USA, it is about the others too. This is what God is doing in the nations. He is raising up nationals for their own nations and sending them to others. Europe to a great extent (Spain, Italy, Greece, England, Germany, France, etc...) and the USA and Canada to a lesser extent need to be re-evangelized.

Derek

Posted: July 09, 2009 5:07 AM

Many many good points, but I would be careful on what is considered "American Christianity" "to empower laypeople" Paul was a great empower of lay people, and I believe Christ was before him. This is not an "American idea" but one that we inherited by our reformers, who got their radical ideas from the New Testament. "like America is that they've become missionary-sending bodies." This was not an "American idea" but the Catholic church was doing this far earlier in Europe, than we Americans were. Oh, and isn't Acts all about this idea too? "I think in China, it doesn't..." Right now, I am writing this from inside China, and I can tell you that counting happens here too. I would say that they put more focus on quality of believers more than we do, but at the end of the day, numbers still rule the day. Otherwise, I liked the article.

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: July 09, 2009 3:56 AM


Christianity that is not directly and personally from "the glorious and blessed God" or of divine origin (1 Tim. 1: 10-11) is of course either from Europe or America together with pecuniary interests! There is no mystery here.

pete Benson, editor UNITYINCHRIST.COM

Posted: July 08, 2009 4:03 PM

Wow, right up my alley. The last part of this article shows interdenominational and nondenominational missions, highly qualified, and focused on the local areas they're going into, focused on reaching the differing language groups of the world, right within their own environment, their own cultures. On UNITYINCHRIST.COM I focus and promote five of the the major international evangelistic organizations on the website, as part of the overall mission of the site. See http://www.UNITYINCHRIST.COM/missionstatement.htm to see these evangelistic organizations listed, click on their links and see what they're doing. As the body of Christ in America becomes more nourished in the Word of God, a natural desire to witness occurs, and a lot of this is being channeled into short and long-term missions. Also another phenomenon is occurring, where differing evangelistic missions are lending support and assistance across the board to each other. This has to be a move of Jesus! Praise the Lord!

Philip Williams

Posted: July 08, 2009 3:58 PM

Mark Noll is impressed by "strategy" in missions. How Western! Or, how businesslike. Must we merchandize even the gospel! What of the Bible or the words of God? If growth and missions is the objective rather than the truth of the gospel, what is the point in any of this? He doesn't see a priesthood of believers as anything more than "individualistic". Thank God, there were American Christians and American missionaries who thought about this in terms of God and the gospel, and thank God, they planted this into many nations.

Timothy

Posted: July 08, 2009 3:34 PM

Contrary to some beliefs, American Missionary quality today has dropped significantly. The so called "successful overseas revivals" are similar to Extreme pentacostal movements such as Benny Hinn's, Joel Osteen, etc., which use Entertainment as the secret ingredient. The only prayerful thing now is one mentioned by the article "the reverse: back to UK, back to America". God has raised some great missionaries in foreign lands, and it's time for America to be re-fertilized by God blessed foreign missionaries. The pride of American Christianity is not lost, if there's no pride to begin with. But our Just and merciful God had indeed raised plentiful great American preachers and missionaries in the past as well. Tozer, Schaeffer, Nate Saint and Billy Graham, to name a few.

Melissa

Posted: July 08, 2009 2:50 PM

It's interesting that this article doesn't meantion the pentecostal church leaders influence on churches in other nations. In NZ this influence has been far reaching especially in the last twenty years. Some of the influence has been supportive, bibilical and uplifting. But far too much of it has empahsised numbers, money & prosperity gospel at the expense of true discipleship. Cultural understanding has been decidedly missing from these endeavours!

Sally

Posted: July 08, 2009 2:03 PM

Just wondering exactly what is "American Christianity" especially as compared to other Western Christianity, i.e., European and British. How are American missionaries different from, say, missionaries from western Europe and the UK? And how are all of today's missionaries different from 19th century missionaries. Some times I think that all things American, even our "Christianity" and our missionaries are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Do we do anything right, may I ask? (P.S. this observation does not apply to the article being discussed.)

Bill Bray

Posted: July 08, 2009 12:21 PM

Good insights. As we start the Decade of the International (2010-2020) this year at Urbana09, we are seeing the USA have an exciting, revived role sending overseas students and indigenous mission leaders back home to make significant changes in their native cultures. This follows the cross-cultural pattern of the Apostle Paul and some of the more spectacular examples of indigenous missionaries in the 20th Century. Many Ameircan churches are finding that they can reach the world by reaching internationals right here without going overseas. The next decade is shaping up to have an increased impact on global missions from the USA in this way.

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