Christian Tradition in Global Perspective

Overview

“With his trademark clarity, readability, and comprehensiveness, Roger Schroeder gives a tour d’horizon of the global spread of the Christian message, from its beginning to our time. Each chapter presents an informative account of Christian missions in key historical periods, with reflections on ‘threads of Christian Tradition’ that allow readers to see both its continuity and novelty in each age. I most enthusiastically recommend this book for courses on church history and missiology for both professional degrees and continuing education.”—Peter C. Phan, author, The Joy of Religious Pluralism

 “The first global history of Christianity that prioritizes spirituality, liturgy, church organization, and other features central to church life. This essential overview will fascinate, inform, and enlighten students everywhere.”—Dana L. Robert, Boston University School of Theology

 “Part of a new genre of church history that integrates mission, religious, and lay history and shows how the Christian tradition is globally mobile, endlessly diverse, and ever adapting to new contexts. Its unique blend of in-depth historical research, rich imagery, and theological patterns makes this text readable and enlightening for students and scholars alike.”—Kirsteen Kim, author, The Holy Spirit in the World: A Global Conversation

 “This comprehensive yet manageable overview of Christian history shows the masterful pedagogical touch of Roger Schroeder, skillfully combining clear prose, acknowledgment of historical and theological complexity, and judicious thematic summations amid telling and vivid details. A superb resource for university teaching.”—Paul Kollman, CSC, University of Notre Dame

 Designed for classroom use this one-volume text situates the history of Christianity within its various social and political contexts. 

Suitable for one-semester, upper-level undergraduate and introductory-level graduate courses, Christian Tradition in Global Perspective highlights key events, movements, eras, documents, rituals, artifacts, and persons. While written from a Catholic perspective, the book is inclusive of other Christian denominations, churches, and movements that are the various streams within Christianity.

 Following the methodology and philosophy of the “new” church history, Schroeder tells the story of Christian tradition as much as possible from a non-Eurocentric/non-Western perspective, one that is inclusive of the roles and movements of “non-Western people,” women, laity, and others who traditionally have been excluded from the written histories of Christianity. 

Christian Tradition in Global Perspective is uniquely suited for both students and teachers, as well as church leaders, in our globally connected world.

Roger P. Schroeder, SVD, is Louis J. Luzbetak, SVD Professor of Mission and Culture and professor of intercultural studies and ministry at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. His books include (with Stephen Bevans) Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today and Prophetic Dialogue: Reflections on Christian Mission Today, both from Orbis Books.