Mission after Christendom (Paperback)

~ David Smith (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Darton Longman & Todd Ltd (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0232524831
• ISBN-13: 978-0232524833
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,335,259 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mission after Christendom, February 24, 2006

By	Robert B. Reese (Lancaster, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Given that the world is entering a postcolonial, postmodern, post-Christendom period of history, what changes should take place in Christian mission? David Smith, a former missionary to West Africa and now lecturer at the International Christian College in Glasgow, Scotland has some provocative answers in this short, well-written book.
European missiologists like Smith are more keenly aware of the significance of the demise of Christendom than Americans tend to be. Not only has the center of gravity of world Christianity shifted away from its traditional base in the North and West towards the East and South, but also the privilege and apparent strength of western churches is waning.
Despite this rapid change, Christians continue to operate with old paradigms, especially those from the Enlightenment and Christendom period that assume that western economic dominance will result in the spread and triumph of Christianity. Smith counters that far from achieving spiritual dominance, western civilization has now become a major mission field where old paradigms no longer work.
Smith tackles the three new frontiers of mission now facing the West: secularization, pluralization, and globalization. He intersperses these topics with thoughtful Bible studies pertaining to each issue. For example, he likens the present situation in world mission to the liminality experienced by Israel during the Exile, a time when old paradigms no longer worked, but new ones had not yet been accepted. He also relates the teaching of the Book of Revelation to the present time of western economic dominance.
In addition, Smith uses classical paintings as illustrations of how Christian artists predicted centuries ago where secularism and the Enlightenment would take Christianity. These paintings are included in color in the book and Smith's commentary on them is interspersed through the book.
Smith clearly sees the future of Christianity to lie with poor Christians of the East and South, but that offers western churches a new chance to change paradigms and become more effective in mission. He sees the need for western Christians to learn more from other cultures if they are to be relevant today. If they can do this, mission after Christendom may be much more biblical.