Introduction to World Christian History

Cooper (Twenty Questions That Shaped World Christian History), associate professor of world Christian history at Biblical Theological Seminary, focuses on place in an effort to shake readers from the habit of thinking about the Christian religion in Eurocentric terms. With conversions continuing to rise in Asia, Africa, and South America—while American and European churches continue to decline—Cooper believes an overview of world Christian history is necessary in order to supplant “the archaic word Christendom, which many still associate with Western colonization and imperialism.” With this geographical emphasis, readers will wish for a map in addition to the appendix, which list countries according to the UN geoscheme for nations. Information foundational to Christian history will be old hat for some readers, but, as promised, there is more depth and detail about Christian history in areas—particularly in Asia and Africa—that are less well covered by most general resources. Cooper’s writing is engaging, and his chapter overviews and “trail markers” help readers with uncommon terms and concepts. This is a valuable work for nonspecialists and scholars alike. [em](July) [/em]