Christian Theology and Mission

Christian theology and mission examines how Christianity spreads, adapts, and takes root across diverse cultural and political contexts, with particular attention to the dramatic shifts that have occurred since the mid-twentieth century as the faith's center of gravity moved from Europe and North America toward Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Scholars in this area trace the theological ideas, institutional structures, and human movements — including migration, short-term volunteerism, and organized missionary work — that shape how communities understand and practice Christian faith in specific local settings. Active questions include how churches in rapidly growing contexts such as sub-Saharan Africa develop their own theological traditions rather than simply inheriting Western ones, and how Christian communities should respond to urgent shared concerns like ecological crisis and urban inequality. The field sits at the intersection of historical analysis, comparative religion, and normative theological argument, making it a site where descriptive and prescriptive questions about religion's public role are constantly in tension.

Works

106,724

Total citations

184,452

Keywords

Global ChristianityShort-Term MissionsReligious ExperienceMigration and MissionPublic TheologyAfrican Christianity