Symposium on World Christianity

October 11, 2010

Baylor University

In conjunction with the October 2010 Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town, South Africa (www.lausanne.org), Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion will host this symposium to assess current and future trends in world Christianity. It will feature an address by Philip Jenkins (Baylor ISR/Penn State), as well as a panel discussion with Paul Freston (Baylor ISR/Wilfrid Laurier), Paul Froese (Baylor University), Virginia Garrard-Burnett (University of Texas-Austin), and Robert Woodberry (University of Texas-Austin).

We will especially focus on the role of Christianity in the so-called BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China), those emerging global powers that have recently become so central to US strategic analysis. The leading themes of the symposium will be:

*The role of Christianity in economic development, as a way of testing or refining older theses about religion and the rise of capitalism. How do new forms of Christianity promote thrift and enterprise? Do they help create civil societies that can offer the base for viable consumer societies?

*The experience of Christians living as small minorities in hostile or barely tolerant societies. These are special issues for India and China. How does persecuted minority status impact the content of the Christian message and daily practice?

*Christianity and emerging forms of democracy, as well as Christianity and human rights

*Christianity and its fluid relationship with other religions

*Religion and the demographic patterns of respective countries, and how demographic changes (e.g. reduced fertility) impact religious practice and belief.

More information to come soon