Philip Jenkins is on the IWU campus today and tomorrow for our colloquium and various other activities. Jenkins teaches at Penn State and is best known for his thoughts on the shift of Christendom to the southern hemisphere, to the 2/3rds world.
This shift is fascinating. In my own denomination, we rode the wave of creating a world fellowship back in the 70's, allowing conferences like the Philippines and the Caribbean to have equal status with the North American church in those fellowships. North America still has the dollars, which means it still effectively has more power. But the possibly unforeseen effect is that, in the long run, the churches of the southern hemisphere may eventually have the power in the church because they have more numbers. We can anticipate a day when they will be passing resolutions to send our way, resolutions that we will probably resist.
We're already seeing this shift in power in the Anglican conflict over the homosexual bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States. Certain bishops in Africa have created quite a stir leading to some rift in the fellowship. Of course there is no binding connection between members of the Anglican fellowship.
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13 comments:
I thought the whole split in the Anglican Church over the issue of homosexuality was really about the inspiration of Scripture and how to interrpet it...fundamentalist understanding about the text is what I had gathered about the African Chruch. As the belief in the supernatural is so important to them, they are prey to charismatic understandings, are ultra supernaturalistic, and are not open to the critical-historical method..
The real problem in Africa is not spiritual but political. They are tribalistic and are not independent thinkers. As John Waller points out in his book "Becoming Evil", this type of environment is cultivates genocide, ethnicity, etc...I don't think the Church should look at that type of culture as a means to grow...as our "business mentality" leads us to...
Is there a 2nd world?
Anyway, Penn State has a nice position open in NT right now co-appointed with Classics.
What is the topic of the colloqium? Wish I could have been there for chapel, although we already read the book in Norms class. Wondering how long the old white men will hold on to their power (especially now that 1/3 of their money is gone)...
Sounds like a position right up your alley, Jared... :-)
Adam, I believe it's on third world Christianity tomorrow with Joanne Lyons responding.
Ken..I think you need to apply at Penn State if they have an opening in NT. You would be perfect and have a prestigious position. You would be a good fit in a secular university:)
I don't know, Craig, they'd probably think I was too conservative :-)
Thanks for looking out for me, though...
I'll be nice to see the papers from the colloquium. Thanks for the update.
No Ken, don't worry about being to conservative. I think at Penn State or some other secular progressive university you would fit right in. You could be yourself!
Ken,
You've been tagged with the book meme.
Jai+
I guess depending on your agenda, you are labelled accordingly :).
Craig,
Wow
I am sorry that I didn't get to hear Phillip Jenkins at the colloquim, as maybe there would be a fuller understanding of what his understanding is. But, tonight's presentation on "Lost Christianities" disturbed me. He talked in a posmodern paradigm, possibly because of the culture of IWU, as he is a religious studies, politics, and 20th century historian of the U.S....
He talked about the connection of these people to Christian faith and how Islam had impacted or interfaced Christinity. His presentation only briefly touched on Muslims in Europe and how they wanted to assimulate, whereas the Europeans wanted to affirm their multiculturalism...After the presentation was over, I asked him about Shai ria law being discussed by Parliament in Britian about this time last year, and how the U.N. gives Islam a cultural excuse in observing "the Universal Declaration of Human Rights". I am astounded. Not one question from the honors students was about an objective or scientific view, only a religious view...what is Chrisitianity? Why is christianity such a strong religion? etc. etc.....
Tolerance is a virtue, but not at the expense of what is right or true as it concerns scientific investigation...and as a religious studies professor in a major "secular" university, I question how he presented the material...I am certainly biased against religious viewpoints....He talked of martydom and dicussing across religions and global Christiantiy...
He's coming to Bethel tomorrow.
I'm pumped.
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