List of Figures ixList of Tables xiIntroduction: What Is Christianity? 11 Christian Beginnings 5The Jewish Roots of Christianity 6Jesus and the Gospel 7Christianity's Original Diversity 9Emergence of the Great Church 11The Roman Imperial Church 12Christian Diversity and Unity in the Year 500 14The Great Division 15The "Traditioning" of Christianity 192 Orthodoxy: Preserving Ancient Ways 21Orthodox Spirituality 21The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation 26Orthodox History 28Institutional and Social Structure of Orthodoxy 353 Catholicism: The Church 40Catholic Spirituality 41The Catholic Understanding of Salvation 45Catholic History 47Institutional and Social Structure of Catholicism 544 Protestantism: The Bible and the Individual 59Protestant Spirituality 60The Protestant Understanding of Salvation 64Protestant History 67Institutional and Social Structure of Protestantism 745 Pentecostalism: The Power of the Spirit 79Pentecostal Spirituality 80The Pentecostal Understanding of Salvation 85Pentecostal History 87Institutional and Social Structure of Pentecostalism 916 Becoming Global 95Catholic Globalization 96Protestant Globalization 101The Bigger Picture: From Eurocentrism to World Christianity 1057 The Contemporary Geography of Christianity 111Mapping Christianity's Regional Differences 111The Middle East and North Africa 113Eastern Europe 115Western Europe 116India and Central Asia 117Sub-Saharan Africa 118East Asia 120Latin America 121North America 122Oceania 124Christian Interactions Today 1258 Common Threads and Shared Challenges 128Common Threads in the Early Christian Movement 128The Modern Search for Christian Unity 131Christian Commonalities Today 134Contemporary Challenges 137Conclusion: What Is Christianity Today? 145Index 149
Douglas Jacobsen is Distinguished Professor of Christian History and Theology Emeritus, Messiah University, Pennsylvania, USA. A widely traveled researcher and speaker, he is the award-winning author of several books including The World???s Christians and Global Gospel. Professor Jacobsen currently co-directs the Religion in the Academy Project (RITA), a major research initiative examining religion and religious diversity within higher education.
