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List of Illustrations. <p>Preface.</p> <p>Introduction.</p> <p><b>Part I: Who They Are.</b></p> <p>Introduction.</p> <p>1 The Orthodox Tradition.</p> <p>2 The Catholic Tradition.</p> <p>3 The Protestant Tradition.</p> <p>4 The Pentecostal/Charismatic Tradition.</p> <p><b>Part II: Where They Are.</b></p> <p>Introduction.</p> <p>5 The Middle East and North Africa: Barely Surviving.</p> <p>6 Eastern Europe: Nationalism and New Mission.</p> <p>7 Central and South Asia: Confidence and Complexity.</p> <p>8 Western Europe: Thin, but Alive.</p> <p>9 Sub-Saharan Africa: Hope and Despair.</p> <p>10 East Asia: Piety and Politics.</p> <p>11 Latin America: After Monopoly.</p> <p>12 North America: Faith in a Free Market.</p> <p>13 Oceania: Experiments in Identity.</p> <p><b>Part III: How They Got There.</b></p> <p>Introduction.</p> <p>14 The Ancient Tradition: Beginnings to 500.</p> <p>15 The Great Division and the Age of the East: 500 to 1000.</p> <p>16 The Rise of the West and Decline of the East: 1000 to 1500.</p> <p>17 Christianity in a Global Era: 1500 to the Present.</p> <p>Index.</p>

"The result is a most useful comprehensive survey of Christianity, one that is especially appropriate for an introductory college course or a church study program. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates, practitioners, and general readers." (Choice, 1 November 2011)<br />

<p><b>DOUGLAS JACOBSEN</b> is Distinguished Professor of Church History and Theology at Messiah College. He is author of numerous books, including <i>Thinking in the Spirit: Theologies of the Early Pentecostal Moement</i> (2003), which received the Pneuma Award from the Society for Pentecostal Studies, and <i>The American University in a Postsecular Age</i> (with Rhonda Hustedt Jacobsen, 2008), winner of the 2009 Lilly Fellows Book Award.

<p>"An outstanding work of scholarship. This balanced and comprehensive overview of global Christian realities is the single best introduction to world Christianity that I have ever read."</br> <b>Dale T. Irvin, <i>New York Theological Seminary</i></b> <p>"I am very impressed with this book. It presents a massive amount of material in an accessible fashion. I know of no other book like it available today."</br> <b>Anne T. ayer, <i>Lancaster Theological Seminary</i></b> <p>"At a time when readers are looking for a good basic book on Christianity as a world religion, Douglas Jacobsen o ers something even better: a global survey of who and where the Christians are, and a brief history as well. Students and casual readers alike will come away with their questions answered, and those who want to learn more will find many good suggestions about what to read next. This is a valuable book, well worth getting – and keeping."</br> <b>Joel Carpenter, <i>Calin College</i></b> <p>"Douglas Jacobsen has written a remarkably thoughtful, insightful, lively, and near-comprehensive account of the sprawling, vivid, internally plural, and wildly complex phenomenon of world Christianity. For students of politics, culture, development, and con ict – for anyone interested in the evolution and prospects of the hundreds of Christian-influenced or -inflected societies around the world – <i>The World's Christians</i> is indispensable."</br> <b>R. Scott Appleby, <i>University of Notre Dame</i></b> <p>Christianity is the world's largest religion, with one third of the world's population defi ning themselves as Christians, and with a truly global presence. In a clear and lively style, Jacobsen describes how Christianity has developed and spread around the world and how Christians in many different cultures live their faith today. The book off ers a balanced and engaging account of global Christianity, past and present, with captivating accounts of the world's four major Christian traditions: Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and Pentecostal. Th e geographical territory covered by the book is uniquely comprehensive, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as Europe, North America, and the Pacifi c. Th e book contains fascinating demographic insights about global Christianity.

"This book is a guide to global Christianity in all its organizational and geographical diversity. It is a friendly encounter with Christians around the world, in Europe and North America and increasingly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Written in an accessible but authoritative style, it will serve as a reliable sourcebook and a valuable introduction to the living variety of today's multicultural Christian faith."<br /> —<b>Mark Juergensmeyer</b>, University of California-Santa Barbara, editor of <i>Global Religions: An Introduction</i> <p>"I am very impressed with this book. It presents a massive amount of material in an accessible fashion. I know of no other book like it available today."<br />  —<b>Anne T. Thayer</b>, Professor of Church History, Lancaster Theological Seminary</p> <p>"An outstanding work of scholarship. This balanced and comprehensive overview of global Christian realities is the single best introduction to world Christianity that I have ever read."<br /> —<b>Dale T. Irvin</b>, President and Professor of World Christianity, New York Theological Seminary</p> <p>"At a time when readers are looking for a good basic book on Christianity as a world religion, Douglas Jacobsen offers something even better: a global survey of who and where the Christians are, and a brief history as well. Students and casual readers alike will come away with their questions answered, and those who want to learn more will find many good suggestions about what to read next. This is a valuable book, well worth getting--and keeping."<br /> —<b>Joel Carpenter</b>, Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, Calvin College</p> <p>"Douglas Jacobsen has written a remarkably thoughtful, insightful, lively and near-comprehensive account of the sprawling, vivid, internally plural and wildly complex phenomenon of world Christianity. For students of politics, culture, development and conflict—for anyone interested in the evolution and prospects of the hundreds of Christian - influenced or inflected societies around the world—<i>The World's Christians</i> is indispensable."<br /> —<b>R. Scott Appleby</b>, Professor of History, University of Notre Dame</p>

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