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<\/a>Lewis, Donald M. and Richard V. Pierard\u2019s book Global Evangelicalism: Theology, History, and Culture in Regional Perspective<\/em>, provides an impressive and detailed account of modern global evangelicalism. The authors explain the historical, cultural and theologically complexities of the evangelical movement. \u00a0The volume is divided up into three major sections. According to the authorship:<\/p>\nThe first section provides historical and theological background and offers a discussion of the vexed question of evangelicalism\u2019s relationship to the process termed globalization. The second section offers surveys of evangelicalism\u2019s history in different geographical areas of the world. The final section includes discussion of important themes in evangelical history.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n There are many strengthens of evangelicalism that are highlighted in the book and weakness as well. But I find myself reflecting on current issues and their relationship with history. A general point I am pondering about is how the cultural, theological, economic, technological and political past, might impact the present? For instance, I tend to think that the telegraph was a precursor to the internet or what the telegraphs was to its time, the internet is today. It is undeniable that both the telegraph and the internet have tremendously influenced the world at many levels. In fact consider the millennialist hopes about Morse\u2019s telegraph in a Methodist monthly magazine called The Ladies\u2019 Repository<\/em>, in 1850 and the views toward the telegraphy\u2019 role in extending the kingdom of God:<\/p>\n This noble invention is to be the means of extending civilization, republicanism, and Christianity over the earth. It must and will be extended to nations half-civilized, and thence to those now savage and barbarous. Our government will be the grand center of this mighty influence\u2026 The beneficial and harmonious operation of our institutions will be seen, and similar ones adopted. Christianity must speedily follow them, and we shall behold the grand spectacle of a whole world, civilized, republican, and Christian\u2026 Wars will cease from the earth. Men \u2018shall beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks\u2019\u2026[2]<\/a><\/p>\n What optimism! \u00a0It is at this point that I am drawn to pick up on the authors\u2019 point about \u201c\u2026 the vexed question of evangelicalism\u2019s relationship to the process termed globalization\u201d[3]<\/a>\u00a0 With the ever expansive effects of globalization at hand, it seems to me that Christians will be best served to pay attention to the echoes from religious history, if Christians are going to experience a meaningful and fruitful impact in missions today. After all, a great chunk of the scriptures too, teach the reader about history of Israel through which a risen messiah would emerge to give birth to a globally historic gospel narrative. Deuteronomy 32:7 notes:<\/p>\n \u201cRemember the days of old;<\/p>\n consider the generations long past.<\/p>\n Ask your father and he will tell you,<\/p>\n your elders, and they will explain to you\u201d<\/p>\n The above portion of scriptures among many issues, also raise lessons to be learned from Egpyt\u2019s colonial conquest over Israel. Yet while studying Mark Noll\u2019s article in \u201cThe Cambridge History of Christianity\u201d, I was curious as to how \u201cthe expansion of Christianity to North American long remained a thoroughly colonial affair?\u201d[4]<\/a> Again might the lessons from such a past be relevant to present day missionaries in their desire to spread their strand of Christianity fused by the missionary\u2019s culture of orign? These questions are fresh on my mind because of recent presentation I was invited to make on the controversies of missions. During the presentation, we discussed Christianity\u2019s encounter with the First Nations People. It was clear that:<\/p>\n Almost all ventures in European colonization proclaimed an intention to evangelize Native Americans. None succeeded, at least with anything like the success so easily anticipated. Sharp difference in world-view, the largely unintended destruction of native populations by European disease, the assumption accepted almost universally that Christianity entailed European forms of civilization, and an inability to segregate altruistic missionary efforts from the acquisitive pursuit of land doomed efforts at Christianizing the native peoples.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n We also contrasted the above analysis with the story of Jesus Christ which Donald M. Lewis\u2019s successfully portrays through the notion of \u201cglobalization from below\u201d. Lewis\u2019s insightful discussion of \u201cglocalization\u201d and the concept of \u201cglobalization from below\u201d unlike the colonial model, challenges Christians to take seriously Christ\u2019s ability to humble his follower towards adaptability, joyful acculturation, and ability to influence society at every level. A kind of influence which builds people up instead of destroying their cultural identities which Christ can use to indigenize the message of the good news.<\/p>\n As globalization continues to have its effect, the global church ought to seek to build healthy global partnerships which will keep followers of Christ united in the gospel story. The global Church can borrow a leaf from former fundamentalist who \u201c\u2026 rejected anti-intellectualism, negativism and compartmentalizing of one\u2019 faith\u2026\u201d calling for \u201c\u2026 cooperative effort by like-minded people in such areas as evangelism, education and social action.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Donald M. Lewis and Richard V. Pierard, Global Evangelicalism: Theology, History and Culture in Regional Perspective<\/em>, (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2014), 14.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Martin Hewitt, The Victorian World<\/em>. (London: Routledge, 2012), 710.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Ibid.,<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> Stewart J Brown. and Timothy Tackett. Enlightenment, Reawakening, and Revolution, 1660-1815<\/em>. (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 392.<\/p>\n