Reflection on Beyond Christendom: Globalization, African Migration, and the Transformation of the West by Jehu J. Hanciles

Chapter 1

In this chapter, Hanciles deals with the complex description of globalization within its historical, political, and economic dimensions, the debates surrounding the phenomenon, and attempts to articulate its implications for the future. He concludes with the idea that the concept does, however, furnish us with a powerful analytical tool for understanding “what is undeniably one of the most powerful, transformative forces shaping our everyday lives.” P. 14

Chapter 2

This chapter deals with the globalization of culture. He critically evaluates global-culture arguments that uphold Western culture as a universal ideal. The “global-culture” thesis holds that, as a result of the spread of Western modernization and/or American consumer culture, we are witnessing the emergence of a global culture or universal civilization. He also deals with globalization from other perspectives, especially the “secularization theory,” Peter Berger’s “four faces of global culture,” Francis Fukuyama’s “end of history,” Benjamin Barber’s “Jihad versus McWorld, and Samuel Huntington’s “clash of civilizations.”

Chapter 4

This chapter is a missiological reflection on the birth and bankruptcy of Christendom. Christendom bankrupted as a universal ideal by expanding colonial interests and the missionary encounter with huge diversity of non-Western societies. This encounter contributed to the emergence of non-Western movements and initiatives, some of which are acting reflexively back on Western societies.

Chapter 5

In this chapter, Hanciles looks forward from our present situation. He examines the face of global Christianity, including its reshaping that has seen Africa, Latin America, and Asia emerge as the heartlands of the faith.

Chapter 6

In chapter 6 Hanciles assesses migrations through a biblical lens. He argues that migrant movement is crucial to the unfolding of the divine plan of salvation, and also furnishes the basis for a biblical critique of global cultural hegemony. He examines migration within both the Old and New Testaments, and looks at the relationship between the wide scale movement of people groups and mission.

Chapter 7

In this chapter, Hanciles makes the case for the missiological study of migration. He examines European colonial expansion and African slavery between 1500 and 1850. He explores the period between 1800 and 1960, with its industrial growth and high imperialism. He examines the role of migration, the limits and unintended consequences of empire. He also looks at global migrations after the 1960s.

Chapter 8

This chapter primarily focuses on South-North migration. He provides an overview of South-North migration, and evaluates the impact of migration on source countries.

Chapter 9

Hanciles explores Africa’s contribution to the massive escalation of South-North movement from the 1960s. He contends that as an aspect of cultural globalization, nonwhite migration represents a significant example of global processes which originate outside the Western world and impact Western societies. In this chapter, he is particularly interested in the African migrations and the missionary impulse.

Chapter 10

In this chapter, Hanciles explores the impact of immigration on the West. He intimates that the religiosity of the new immigrants at very least implicates secular Western societies as sites of new religious interactions. He evaluates the debate over the assimilation of nonwhite immigration into Western societies. He contends that the dynamics of contemporary globalization fosters new modes of immigrant assimilation within Western societies that significantly change the latter.

Chapter 11

This chapter is a reflection on Islam, and the massive Muslim immigration into Western societies. In Europe the vast majority of immigrants are Muslims, and extensive secularization, means that the rapid growth of Islam is perceived as a direct threat to values associated with liberal democracy. Popular misconception of Islam plagues the assimilation/integration question. In the US, the Muslim population forms a very small proportion of recent immigrants and join a population of unparalleled religious diversity. Muslim immigrants in America also tend to be highly educated professionals, while those in Europe are typically underclass.

Chapter 12

This chapter explores immigrant congregations and American religious life. He demonstrates that successive waves of massive immigration not only account for huge changes in America’s history, but have also been the main source of transformation of America’s religious landscape.

Chapter 13

Here, Hanciles particularly explores the impact of African immigrants in America. He points to the characteristics of African immigrants, notably the fact that they are educated and in the prime of life, which points to missionary effectiveness.

Chapter 14

In this chapter, Hanciles looks at four types of African immigrant churches. He looks at churches of people from Liberia, Nigeria, and the Congo, and evaluates African immigrant missionary-pastors.

Chapter 15

In the final chapter, Hanciles assesses the missionary commitment and evaluates the missionary challenge. His final analysis holds that the African missionary movement has wider significance beyond the encounter with any one Western context.