The four chapters of this book were delivered as the Annual Seminary lectureship of the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries at Elkhart, Indiana, in March 1961 under the general title: "The Theology of Menno Simons and Its Significance Today.
Atlases that represent the first 1500 years of Christianity can, for the most part, safely rely on ethnic and national boundaries to provide the basic context for the maps and drawings that illustrate change. Yet as one approaches the modern period, when the credal preferences of rulers and governments become decreasingly determinative, the geographical portrayal of religion becomes more problematic. In our era this becomes more pronounced. How does one graphically portray Lutheran Sweden or Catholic Spain when only 3.6 per cent and 15 per cent respectively are actually practising. Which is the best way to represent the life of Christians in China, Indonesia or the Sudan? Franklin Littell's method is to highlight those times and places of crisis and decision - both internal and external - in which the shape and direction of Christianity was determined. Particular attention is paid to the interaction of Christians and Jews and to the encounter of Christianity and Islam. Three main areas are emphasized: theology and dogma, ethical and moral life and the expansion of Christianity to a world religion.
For most of our history, American religious life has been dominated by a view of church history in which we appear as mere deposits of European religious culture. In fact, however, the freedom of Americans to choose without penalty to join any religious body or none at all is new in human history. This book is an effort to understand and interpret how we arrived at our present situation and, in doing so, to clarify many cultural, social and political issues.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.