Brian Stiller: From Jerusalem to Timbuktu
Brian C. Stiller, From Jerusalem to Timbuktu: A World Tour of the Spread of Christianity (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018), 220 pages, ISBN 978-0830845279.
Brian C. Stiller has had a very rich and diverse ministry experience. He has served as the president of Tyndale University College & Seminary, written books, founded and edited Faith Today magazine, and currently is global ambassador for the Evangelical World Alliance ministry. What may be of particular interest to some of our readers is that he is also a Pentecostal. This brief list of his ministry involvements tells us that he has engaged the Christian faith both intellectually and practically. In this volume he shares both his knowledge and experience of the church around the world.
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1, which is very short (only one chapter), points out that the Christianity is experiencing tremendous growth in the global south: Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Part 2 is devoted to a consideration of what the author calls five “drivers.” These drivers have substantially contributed to the growth and shaping of Christianity in the world. This is the longest section of the book. In part 3 Stiller looks at factors that are intertwined with the drivers that have also helped to fuel the growth of Christianity.
As I indicated in the previous paragraph the majority of this book focuses on the five drivers. The drivers that Stiller identifies are: the Holy Spirit, Bible translations, indigenous leadership, re-engaging the public square, and the power of the whole gospel. He devotes a chapter to each of these subjects.
A second driver that has helped Christianity to spread is Bible translation. In chapter 3, which is called “The Power of Bible Translation” Stiller points out a number of benefits people have when they have the Bible in their own language. He says one thing that is implicit in Bible translation is the idea that God is at the center of all cultures (page 56). The author also points out that the Bible empowers its readers against errant ideas. He mentions specifically false ideas from the West and the Enlightenment (page 57). One of the things that the Bible defends against is the anti-supernaturalistic views that frequently come from the West (page 57). Another benefit of Bible translation may be an unintended consequence. In some cases, when translators work on the Bible they create an alphabet and a written language in a culture that does not yet have one, this development can help the culture as a whole (page 55-56).
In chapter 4, “Revolution of the Indigenous,” the author points out that putting ministry in the hands of indigenous people is a major help to the spreading of the gospel. He says that without changing its essence the gospel has the ability to adapt to any culture it enters (page 77). Those who are best able to reach and teach the people in their land are their countrymen who live in the land. As Stiller points out, indigenous people better know the needs of the people in their land (page 75). The learning curve for outsiders on this point would, of course, be much longer. Attempts to control the ministry by foreigners either from inside or outside the country (a colonial approach from the past) can actually be detrimental to church growth (page 82).
The next driver that Stiller mentions is “Re-engaging the Public Square.” In chapter 5 he notes that for some time evangelicals have steered away from the public square. By the public square he means getting involved in things that directly impact public life, things like politics. He gives a brief history and explanation of the evangelical retreat from and return to the public square. In this chapter, as in others, he supplies specific examples in support of the things he writes. He draws his examples from various places in the Global South (which is the focus of the book). With regard to getting involved in politics Stiller does say that this has not been an easy road, and he has pointed out that on occasion a Christian has not fared well or represented the Christian faith in a proper manner (page 108).
The last driver that the author mentions is in chapter 6, which is called “The Power of the Whole Gospel.” This chapter deals with embracing all that Jesus said he came to do in his mission. He announced it in the synagogue in Nazareth when he read from the book of Isaiah the prophet (Luke 4:18-19), the text he read was the opening verses of Isaiah 61. Stiller says that Jesus’ words did not just refer to the afterlife but to wholeness (page 130). The author tells us how this emphasis was lost and also what has led to its recovery.
The last part of the book, part III, is called “Jesus Goes Global.” This section consists of one chapter which is called “Wholeness.” In this chapter Stiller mentions factors that work their way through the drivers (page 163). These factors are: prayer, women in ministry, worship, refugees, and persecution (page 163). What may be of particular interest to some is the importance of the ministry of women in the spread of Christianity. Stiller gives space to discussing each of the factors in the chapter.
In the epilogue, Stiller offers some final thoughts on what the move of the center of Christianity to the Global South might mean for the future. If you are interested in the phenomenal growth of the church in the Global South, the factors that have contributed to this growth, or are interested in hearing what God is doing in the world today you will benefit from this volume.
Reviewed by John P. Lathrop
Publisher’s page: https://www.ivpress.com/from-jerusalem-to-timbuktu
