“Global theology” is simply, the theology that is being produced by Christians in their particular global context. It has at times been known as “indigenized”, “contextualized”, or “foreign”, to connote its divergence from the traditional theological assumptions, methods, and conclusions of the Western church.
A shortcut descriptor that you will see often across this site is “non-Western” in describing perspectives of theology and Biblical interpretation.
“Western” is the perspective that has been assumed to be normal or default for understanding and expressing reality. It is the by-product of the European Enlightenment era, which saw a renewed emphasis upon Greek philosophy, scientific objectivity, and individualism.
Within this cultural context arose the Protestant Reformation, which adopted (unconsciously) many of these attributes. Accompanying the Western missionary movement was a dominant preference for Western Christian expression in cultural practice (which involves creating theology). This pressed divergent voices to the margins in terms of communication and appreciation.
By “non-Western”, we mean the type of perspective that does not depend upon historic Enlightenment categories and that has been developed to address pertinent theological realities of a non-Western community.
These voices are, by definition, diverse and can be contradictory to each other. This site affirms the ability of Christians to define their experience and understanding of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit differently and to read scripture faithfully within their own lived reality.
By sharing the expressions which result in this theological and interpretive process, Christians from all avenues may be awakened to a fresh understanding and realization of diverse involvement of God with humanity.
(For more quantitative information regarding the scope of Global Christianity, see the report from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, compiling impressive data and creating interactive maps and tables.)
