Christianity is a global faith. Today, people are increasingly aware that Christianity extends far beyond Europe and North America, permeating the Eastern and Southern hemispheres. What we may know less well is that Christianity has always been a global faith. A vast untold story waits to be heard beyond the familiar tale of how the Christian faith spread across Europe. Not only was Jesus born in Asia, but in the early years of the church Christianity found fertile soil in Africa and soon extended to East Asia as well. In this brief introduction to world Christian history, Derek Cooper explores the development of Christianity across time and the continents. Guiding readers to places like Iraq, Ethiopia and India, Scandinavia, Brazil and Oceania, he reveals the fascinating-and often surprising-history of the church.
"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."
Publishers Weekly, May 9, 2016
"It is widely known that today the majority of Christians live in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Less appreciated is Christianity's thriving presence in these locations for many centuries. In this book Cooper reintroduces us to the global story of Christianity-relocating the center of the Christian narrative to the Global South, joining an emerging chorus of scholars who are challenging the status quo of Christianity as a Western religion."
Todd M. Johnson, associate professor of global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Se
"Derek Cooper's helpful volume reminds us that the global complexity of Christianity today is the fruit of a Christian past that is equally multifaceted and complex. His fresh rendering of that past emphasizes overlooked histories of Christians inAfrica, Asia and other regions of the world, and downplays some familiar tales from the West that now seem quite parochial when viewed in global perspective. Cooper's kaleidoscopic account provides many different angles from which to view Christiansimilarities and differences, and readers will be enriched by the breadth and magnanimity of his presentation."
