EMQ » April–June 2020 » Volume 56 Issue 2
By Edward L. Smither
Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019
202 pages
USD $26.99
Reviewed by George F. Pickens, Professor of Theology and Mission and Director of the Program in Peace and Conflict Studies at Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, PA. He previously spent 14 years in Intercultural Ministry in Ivory Coast and Kenya.
The twenty-first century celebrates another era of world Christianity, and while a growing number of books describe and interpret Christianity in its multiple global contexts, few explain how and why it has become the world’s largest religion. One such study is Edward Smither’s concise global history of Christian mission, and it is one of the most compelling and inspiring explanations of Christianity’s global growth and spread currently available. Smither’s history succeeds where others fail because it largely avoids the pitfalls of the genre and offers an evangelical history of Christian mission that is broad, balanced, and accessible.
In six chapters and two hundred pages, a summary of the span of Christian mission unfolds chronologically from the early church to the majority world church of the twenty-first century. Each chapter includes inspiring details about significant missionaries within their broader cultural and ecclesiastical contexts. Chapters conclude with summaries of formative missiological themes, and these narratives are more global than most in this genre. The ancient stories of the eastern spread of Christianity from Persia into Central Asia and China are included, as are the stories of the rise of Christianity in Arabia, Ethiopia, and southern India. The book maintains this global focus by highlighting local missionaries who led in spreading Christianity in each period and place. Such a polycentric rather than Eurocentric narrative of Christian mission is commendable and rare.
This broad history of Christian mission is also balanced in its interpretations. While the author offers an evangelical history of Christian Mission for an evangelical audience, he also fairly assesses the contributions of other Christian expressions and the influence of important historical events. For example, the oft-neglected but sacrificial and inspiring efforts of Church of the East missionaries are included, and Smither explains that the doctrinal conflicts between the Church of the East and the Western Church were more cultural than theological. Christianity’s right to exist within the Islamic Empire is also acknowledged, and the author correctly notes that in some places the church actually fared better under Islamic rather than Christian (Byzantine) rule. In the twenty-first century, the author notes that more Muslims than Christians have suffered at the hands of Islamic militants, and that while Muslims have justified the use of force in spreading their religion, Christians have often done the same. Such consistent truth telling is commendable.
The book’s presentation is engaging and widely accessible. The author demonstrates deep respect for Christian missionaries while helping readers understand their human contexts and limitations. This blend of readability, accuracy, and balance makes this history an excellent choice for undergraduate and advanced congregational studies of Christian missions and world Christianity. The global nature of the twenty-first century church requires a global approach to explaining its growth and spread. Smither’s book is the best concise evangelical text for engaging this legacy.
For Further Reading
Irvin, Dale T., and Scott W. Sunquist. History of the World Christian Movement, Volumes 1 and 2. Orbis Books, 2012.
