New Centers of Global Evangelicalism in Latin America and Africa

Description

This book shows that new centers of Christianity have taken root in the global south. Although these communities were previously poor and marginalized, Stephen Offutt illustrates that they are now socioeconomically diverse, internationally well connected, and socially engaged. Offutt argues that local and global religious social forces, as opposed to other social, economic, or political forces, are primarily responsible for these changes.

Stephen Offutt is Assistant Professor of Development Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky. His work has been published in a number of peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Contemporary Religion, the Journal for the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Pneuma: The Journal for the Society of Pentecostal Studies, and Sociology of Religion. He has contributed to edited volumes such as The New Evangelical Social Engagement, Sociology of Religion: A Reader, and The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Globalization. Offutt also writes for popular audiences, with work appearing in magazines such as Books and Culture: A Christian Review, and Prism.

'The explosive growth of Evangelical Protestantism in many countries is one of the most important religious developments today. This book by Stephen Offutt, based on original research in El Salvador and South Africa, provides a fascinating picture of the interaction of international and local Evangelical forces. Without ever losing sight of the big picture, Offutt tells lively stories of how individual believers fit into this picture.' Peter L. Berger, Boston University 'Stephen Offutt's book is an important addition to the growing literature on global evangelicalism. Its focus on evangelical elites and on transnational flows allows it to nuance some elements of the general picture that has been built up in recent years and throws more light on the internal dynamics of global evangelical Christianity. At least in the two countries studied, various forms of Western evangelical presence remain a key factor in any explanation of Christianity's flourishing as a 'global southern' faith.' Paul Freston, Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario 'Stephen Offutt provides an extremely helpful guide to scholarly debates and discussions on global evangelicalism. He moves the discussion forward with compelling original research and insightful analysis of the ways in which key evangelical centers in the global South are connected with global evangelicalism.' Robert J. Priest, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School 'In this marvelously well-researched book, Stephen Offutt significantly contributes to our understanding of global evangelicalism by showing its growing diversity and embeddedness in international flows of information, personnel, and resources. Without de-emphasizing the importance of faith itself, Offutt shows how faith is being remolded by transnational social networks, large entrepreneurial organizations, stark economic inequality, and changing political realities.' Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University, New Jersey 'The author is to be commended for the wealth of detail, and for the straightforward manner in which it is presented. ... the book is highly recommended to those interested in global evangelical Christianity, due to its rich analytical detail on how the evangelical churches in those two countries are functioning at the institutional and national level.' Edwin Zehner, Anthropos 'Stephen Offutt's book provides an in-depth examination of how evangelicalism in the global South evolved. New Centers of Global Evangelicalism in Latin America and Africa makes an excellent contribution to graduate and undergraduate courses about religion and globalization in general, and Christianity in Latin America and Africa in particular. This book also serves as a valuable resource to broaden the understanding of the multifaceted interactions of global, national, and grassroots religious forces in post-colonial El Salvador and South Africa.' Joy K. C. Tong, Sociology of Religion 'Offutt's book fits nicely into the increasingly robust literature on global evangelical Christianity, with its focus on global relationships and issues as they relate to the lives of believers. Thanks to largely qualitative and ethnographic research - vital and welcome approaches to the topic - we get a good sense of how the religious 'entrepreneurs' central to Offutt's analysis engage the public and the world, with examples from both South Africa and El Salvador. Offutt's volume should be read for its learned analysis and its effective ability to draw together a considerable amount of information on two very different countries and make it work.' Brendan Jamal Thornton, Latin American Research Review