Christianity Beyond the West: Non-Western Forms and Social Change
Researchers: GTU PhD Candidates Luke Ssemakula and Ajit Abraham; Political Science PhD Candidate Jon Chow
How can scholars better understand new forms of indigenous Christianity sweeping across the Global South? Democratization and the spread of new techonologies by globalization are opening previously closed doors to increased Christian evangelism. This wave of religious and social change, spurred on by globalization, as well as emerging decentralized and culturally-malleable versions of the faith, requires innovative research from a variety of disciplines.
How can scholars better understand new forms of indigenous Christianity sweeping across the Global South? Democratization and the spread of new techonologies by globalization are opening previously closed doors to increased Christian evangelism. This wave of religious and social change, spurred on by globalization, as well as emerging decentralized and culturally-malleable versions of the faith, requires innovative research from a variety of disciplines.
While scholars have studied the links between democratization and evangelicalism, few have closely examined the theological and political aspects of this religious change. RPGP's work on non-Western forms of Christianity focuses on the history of Christian evangelism in the Global South, how technological, political and economic developments affect its spread, and the conflicts that have arisen as Christian missionaries step across boundaries for the first time. RPGP's research focuses on born-again Christians in Uganda, the political influence of Catholics in the Philippines, and liberation theology in India.
