Musings of a Recovering Lutheran: Global South gaining in influence
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 

Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?

Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Isaiah 6:8 (KJV)

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Global South gaining in influence

A study done by Oxford Analytica shows that Christian leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America are gaining influence in Catholic and Protestant churches.

This should surprise no one, since churches from the Global South are on the front lines (literally) of the conflict between Christianity and other religions. In many parts of the world to be a Christian is to make yourself a target for persecution, torture and death. Contrast that situation with many Western denominations, which have become lazy and complacent in the freedoms unimaginable to many Christians worldwide. Some Western denominations like the ELCA and the Episcopal Church USA are essentially post-Christian, concerned primarily with secular political redemption rather than the Kingdom of God.

The news is not all good, however. Some Christian leaders from the Global South are deeply involved in the heresy of "liberation theology". For the most part, liberation theology is a thuggish variation of the social gospel that is still popular in dying mainline Protestant denominations. The difference between the social gospel and liberation theology is that the latter is unquestionably more bloodthirsty in persecuting "enemies of the people" than the former.

For better or worse, the center of gravity of Christianity seems to be shifting away from America and Europe and towards Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It is not out of the question that one day the Global South will be sending missionaries to the unbelieving West. Given the growing unbelief in many mainline Protestant denominations this will probably happen sooner rather than later.