Lalsangkima PACHUAU. World Christianity: A Historical and Theological Introduction. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2018. pp. 247, $34.99. ISBN: 13:978-1-4267-5318-3. Reviewed by Michael J. McCALLION, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, Michigan 48206.

Pachuau’s book provides an introduction to “world Christianity” and, interestingly, presents the best statistics available on world Christianity that reveal the modern spread of Christianity.  His work outlines the global Christian dynamics shaping today’s world Christian movement especially in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.  Researchers and theologians today refer to these areas of the world as the “majority world” because this term recognizes the reality of demographic trends in those regions where most of the world’s population resides.  Pachuau, in other words, attempts to answer the question: How can one possibly think about and discuss all the Christians of the world?  As the author states: “Our inquiry is focused on World Christianity as a phenomenon in history, a particular development we discern in Christianity’s story and our attempt to see its nature and key characteristics” (p.177).  If you want to know basic descriptive statistics on world Christianity and the key characteristics that are advancing its spread, this is a handy go to book for such information.  Pachuau surveys the entire landscape of world Christianity, historical and theological, in one concise volume.  Moreover, he provides critical reviews of the literature on various world Christianity topics in each chapter (these alone are worth the price of the book).

Chapter one is an introduction to world Christianity, in particular, explaining why the term world Christianity is preferred over others (e.g. global Christianity).  Chapter two provides a concise but accurate (in my view) description of the Enlightenment and how world Christianity in the majority world is much different from Christianity of the west (Europe and North America).  Chapters three and four get more specific in describing and discussing Christian movements in Latin America and Africa (chapter 3) and Asia and the Pacific Islands (chapter 4).  Chapters five and six are more theological in focusing on the “contextualizing dynamics” of the Christian faith in history (chapter 5) and by highlighting common macro-contextual issues faced in the majority world (chapter 6).  Both of these chapters discuss how contextual theologies are constructed in response to the contextual realities in each given region of the world.  Chapter seven addresses the questions: “What does it mean to do mission in the new world of Christianity?  How has mission been done by the new Christians from the global south and east?  What continues and what has changed from the modern missionary movement?” (p.143).  Chapter seven is most intriguing in that it also reviews the literature on theologians who argue there should be a moratorium on missions or even that missions should be abandoned altogether (including Ghandi’s thinking on this matter).  Chapter eight is a short concise summary of the book.

Most importantly, from my perspective, is how Pachuau distinguishes the majority world religions (as described in chapters 3 and 4) from Western religions (Europe and America).  As expected, the differences began with the Enlightenment period’s heavy emphasis on “reason” and the majority world’s religions emphasis on emotion.  Consequently, the heart of the new Christian movement is charismatic and Pentecostal.  Pachuau defines and distinguishes these religious expressions, but both are vital, spirited forms of Christianity attracting thousands of people, both Christians and non-Christians in the non-west majority world.  As Pachuau states: “The overview of Christianity we have provided on the southern continents and the islands reveal how the Charismatic Christianity of different stripes has powerfully impacted these continents and islands” (p. 178).  Moreover, Pachuau argues, “many of the mainstream mission churches in the majority world are turning charismatic” (p.181).  The author concludes by asking, will the belief in the empowering Holy Spirit withstand the demystifying onslaught of western secular rationalism?