Author-Meets-Critics: The World Christian Encyclopedia, 3rd edition

ALTMAN, AGUSTINA

Congreso; 15th Assembly of the International Association for Mission Studies (IAMS). Powers, Inequalities, and Vulnerabilities: Mission in a Wounded World; 2020

The World Christian Encyclopedia, third edition, is a comprehensive reference work on the history and current status of Christianity in every country of the world. It provides demographic, historical, and photographic evidence of the 20th-century shift of Christianity to the Global South and detailed information on the uniqueness of Christianity around the world. The Encyclopedia is one of the most-cited books in mission studies and Global Christianity. Its first edition (1982, David B. Barrett) was the first book to bring all of the world?s Christians together in a single reference work, as well as the first to quantify rapidly growing indigenous churches in Africa and around the world. The second edition (2001, Barrett and Todd M. Johnson), was a vital resource for missionary engagement worldwide. Now in its third edition (2020, Johnson and Gina A. Zurlo), the Encyclopedia has come into the 21st century in both print (black and white) and electronic (full color) editions. The third edition includes a 32-page full-color global overview of Christianity covering continents, traditions, and major topics concerning World Christianity; 234 country articles on Christianity from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, including demography, graphs, history, photos, denominations, and contemporary trends related to the churches in each country; a methodology essay that explains the techniques used to arrive at the estimates presented throughout the book; a set of statistical tables covering religion, Christianity by region and continent, Christian traditions, peoples, languages, cities, finance, missionaries, evangelization, and Bible translation and distribution; and appendices with technical notes, bibliography, glossary, abbreviations, and photo credits.This panel session features four scholars from around the world commenting on the tradition of the Encyclopedia, its content, and its contributions to mission and Global Christianity from different disciplinary and denominational perspectives. Panelists include: Bokyoung Park: Professor of Missiology, Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary (South Korea); Agustina Altman (pending funding), Research Scholar, National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (Argentina); Leanne Dzubinski, Associate Professor, Biola University.Given the breadth and depth of the Encyclopedia and the expertise of the panelists, this session will touch on many of IAMS? study groups, especially Christian Communities and Mission, Gender and Mission, Interreligious Studies and Mission, Pentecostal/Charismatic Expressions in World Christianity, and Religious Freedom ? topics that are all extensively covered in the Encyclopedia. One of the Encyclopedia?s authors, Gina A. Zurlo, will attend the IAMS conference and serve as the convener of the session. Evento reprogramado por COVID-19