Interpretive Trends in Christian Revitalization for the Early Twenty First Century

The Center for the Study of World Christian Revitalization Movements, a research center at Asbury Theological Seminary, grew out of a deep-seated concern of a small group of faculty members to take the pulse and heart of the various movements of revitalization which are developing in a variety of cultural settings across world Christianity. Consequently, the Center received a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation in March 2007, enabling it to proceed with that research task. In a day when renewal movements seem to proliferate more rapidly than they can be adequately identified, it was deemed to be the right moment for a thoughtful examination and evaluation to discern what is genuine and effective. To that end, we launched a serious probe into the relationship between Christian revival and revitalization of faith communities and the larger cultures in which they are housed.The Center for the Study of World Christian Revitalization Movements, a research center at Asbury Theological Seminary, grew out of a deep-seated concern of a small group of faculty members to take the pulse and heart of the various movements of revitalization which are developing in a variety of cultural settings across world Christianity. Consequently, the Center received a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation in March 2007, enabling it to proceed with that research task. In a day when renewal movements seem to proliferate more rapidly than they can be adequately identified, it was deemed to be the right moment for a thoughtful examination and evaluation to discern what is genuine and effective.To that end, we launched a serious probe into the relationship between Christian revival and revitalization of faith communities and the larger cultures in which they are housed. This is book is an assessment and interpretation of important trends in the 21st century for global revitalization of Christian faith.