Elijah J. F. Kim, The Rise of the Global South: The Decline of Western Christendom and the Rise of Majority World Christianity (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2012), 524 pages, ISBN 9781498263092.
Dr. Elijah J. F. Kim is Founder and President of Grain of Wheat College and Graduate School in the Philippines. He is also the President of Pathos Foundation in Boston, Massachusetts. The purpose of this foundation is to work for revival and awakening in America and the rest of the world. He is the overseer of A Grain of Wheat Christian Ministries in the Philippines. Dr. Kim served as the director of the Vitality Project of Emmanuel Gospel Center in Boston and is a former member of the Steering Committee of City Impact Roundtable, USA. He is the author of many books in English and other languages.
The Rise of the Global South is a very substantial volume, both in length and in content, it contains a wealth of information. In addition to the author’s writing the text contains graphs, tables, maps, and statistics that the author has drawn from a number of different sources. The research that was utilized in the writing of this book is quite extensive (the bibliography is a little over 28 pages long). In view of the scope of this book, this review will focus on some of the “big picture” themes that are found in it
“The center of gravity of the Christian faith has shifted from the West …”
The main text of this book consists of eight chapters: “Twenty-First Century Christianity,” “The Crisis of Christianity in Europe,” “What is European Christianity?,” Secularization in Europe,” “Revival Movements in Europe,” “American Awakenings and Revivals,” “The Secularization in the United States,” and “Global Trends in Christianity.” As these chapters unfold Dr. Kim examines the impact and decline of Christianity and its influence in both America and Europe over the course of many years. He gives the reader insight into why these fluctuations took place. His research is balanced in that it looks at both the significant moves of God in these lands as well as the forces that have contributed to diminishing the overall impact of the gospel in them. He also looks at Christianity in the Global South: Asia, Africa, and South America. The author points out that “The center of gravity of the Christian faith has shifted from the West to the non-West where the majority of the world’s Christians now live” (page xxiii). The growth of the church in the Global South (the non-West) has been very sizable. Dr. Kim helps us understand some of the reasons for this growth.
The reader will find a significant amount of church history in this book, both European history and American history. Many well-known ministers are mentioned, people like John Wesley, George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, and D. L. Moody. In addition many renewal movements are mentioned, among them are, the Waldensians, the Methodists, and the Quakers. It should be noted that Europe and American did not both follow the exact same religious course, Dr. Kim notes the differences. The reader will also find information about specific denominations in the text. This data reveals that a number of mainline denominations have suffered significant losses in membership over the years.
The decline of the church at certain times has not always been due solely to weaknesses from within. Dr. Kim calls attention to various developments in the larger culture that have had negative effects on the church. He looks at the impact of urbanization, industrialization, and modernization. Though these things are not in and of themselves spiritual, or evil, they have at times had a negative impact on the faith of significant numbers of people.
What are the differences between renewal movements in Europe and America?
In addition to the cultural changes mentioned in the previous paragraph the author also notes other changes that took place. These changes were primarily ways of thinking or viewing life. Changes of this kind were society’s acceptance of secularism, humanism, rationalism, and pluralism. As the author points out humans and their intellect became the center and guiding principles of life (page xxv). Each of these “isms” that were mentioned in this paragraph moved some people away from believing in the authority of the Bible and the truth and exclusive claims of the gospel. But not all of the news is bad. As the author points out some churches grew during this time period when others were declining, the churches that grew were “fundamentalist, Bible-centered, and Pentecostal/Charismatic” (page xxxi).
The church is experiencing phenomenal growth in the global south.
Dr. Kim, in writing about the Global South, highlights the phenomenal growth of the church that is taking place there. This is wonderful news and we rejoice in it. That being said, this does not mean that the church in the Global South is perfect or does not have challenges or obstacles to overcome. In some places the church has to deal with syncretism (page 405), the blending together of biblical truth and elements that are not biblical. On the positive side one of the things that the author mentions a number of times in the book is that the Pentecostal/Charismatic churches are the ones experiencing tremendous growth (pages xxxii, 1). Citing Allan Anderson he also points out that some traditional churches in Asia have been “Pentecostalized” (page 374) meaning that they have adopted beliefs and practices that we might normally associate with a Pentecostal or Charismatic church. The Pentecostal Movement is without question a significant movement with great impact, the author says that no previous movement has had the impact that it has (page 7).
The reader will be exposed to a wealth of information in this book. Some of this information may cause the reader to rejoice at what God has done in the past and what He is currently doing in the Global South. Other information may cause some to do a bit of soul searching and possibly repenting. Pentecostals and Charismatics might especially like parts of this book because it presents these movements in a favorable light.
No previous renewal movement has had the impact that the Pentecostal/charismatic movement has had.
Hopefully all of us desire that the Lord will do a significant work in the Global North in our time. That is, that He will draw unbelievers to a saving knowledge of Himself and that He will stir the church to greater obedience and greater anointing in order to accomplish His will. In addition to desiring to see God move may we position ourselves to be participants in it. As Dr. Luis Bush points out in the Foreword “What this book communicates is how important it is for those from the Minority World and those from the Majority World to learn from one another” (page xvi). In closing Dr. Kim, I think rightly, believes that the global church needs church unity and revival movements (page xxiii). Amen to that! There is much food for thought in this volume. If you are interested in Christian history and what is happening in the contemporary Global church you will find this book very helpful.
Reviewed by John Lathrop
Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/the-rise-of-the-global-south.html
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John P. Lathrop is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is an ordained minister with the International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies. He has written for a number of publications and is the author of four books Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers Then and Now (Xulon Press, 2008), The Power and Practice of the Church: God, Discipleship, and Ministry (J. Timothy King, 2010), Answer the Prayer of Jesus: A Call for Biblical Unity (Wipf & Stock, 2011) and Dreams & Visions: Divine Interventions in Human Experience (J. Timothy King, 2012). He also served as co-editor of the book Creative Ways to Build Christian Community (Wipf & Stock, 2013). Amazon Author page. Facebook
