Theology in the Context of World Christianity : How the Global Church Is Influencing the Way We Think about and Discuss Theology

It is no secret that the center of Christianity has shifted from the West to the global South and East. As the gospel penetrates new cultures and new situations, it must answer new questions and be restated in new ways. While the truths of the Christian faith are timeless and universal, new contexts bring new understandings. What does all this mean for the discipline of theology? The underlying assumption of many is the normativity of Western theological formulation. Is this still a valid premise? Or is the Christian faith not only culturally translatable, but also theologically translatable?

Timothy C. Tennent is professor of world missions and Indian studies and director of missions programs at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He also serves as visiting professor of missions at Luther W. New, Jr. Theological College.