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T racking G lobal C hristianity's S tatistical C entre of G ravity , AD 33‐AD 2100
Author(s) -
Johnson Todd M.,
Chung Sun Young
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international review of mission
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.118
H-Index - 11
eISSN - 1758-6631
pISSN - 0020-8582
DOI - 10.1111/j.1758-6631.2004.tb00451.x
Subject(s) - christianity , trajectory , theology , history , philosophy , physics , astronomy
Christians, at any given time in history, have definable geographic locations and a demographic or statistical centre. A single geographic point is here identified as the statistical “centre of gravity” of Christianity for each of 25 different dates in Christian history, beginning with AD 33 (the traditional date for the origin of the church) and projecting to AD 2100 (one hundred years into the future). The methodology for locating these points utilizes demographic and religious affiliation statistics relating to 21 United Nations regions. By connecting these points, a line is formed that can be viewed as the “trajectory” of global Christianity. In the early Christian centuries the trajectory moved around the eastern Mediterranean but, after AD 600, the trajectory was astonis hingly consistent, moving both north and west until AD 1500 when it began to move slowly to the south. After 1900, the trajectory moved precipitously to the south, and then, after AD 1970, definitively back to the east. By AD 2100, the statistical centre of gravity of Christianity is likely to be in northern Nigeria. This trajectory is tracked detail throughout Christian history, and historical comments and interpretation are provided, with one map, one graphic, and two tables. Brief consideration is given to the implications of the present southeastern trajectory of Christianity for theology, translation and mission.