Christianity in Oceania

by Kenneth R. Ross (Editor), Todd M. Johnson (Editor), Katalina Tahaafe-Williams (Editor)

Overview

This exhaustive reference volume covers the state of Christianity in every country in Oceania (lands of the central and southern Pacific), offering reliable demographic information and original interpretative essays by indigenous scholars and practitioners. It maps patterns of growth and decline, assesses major traditions and movements, analyzes key themes, and examines current trends. This text combines empirical data and original analysis in a uniquely detailed account of Christianity in Oceania.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496482051
Publisher:	Hendrickson Publishers, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/01/2023
Series:	Center for the Study of Global Christianity
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Kenneth R. Ross is Professor of Theology and Dean of Postgraduate Studies at Zomba Theological Universityin Malawi and Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. His most recent monograph is Mission, Race and Colonialism in Malawi: Alexander Hetherwick of Blantyre (Edinburgh UniversityPress, 2023).

Katalina Tahaafe-Williams is Programme Executive at the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, World Council of Churches. She was previously Multicultural Ministry Consultant at the Uniting Church in Australia NSW/ACT Synod. She is author of several books, including Song of the Prophets: A Global Theology of Climate Change (Christian Aid, 2012) and co-editor of Contextual Theology for the Twenty First Century (Wipf & Stock, 2010).

Todd M. Johnson is the Eva B. and Paul E. Toms Distinguished Professor of Mission and Global Christianity and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, Massachusetts, USA. He is also visiting Research Fellow at Boston University's Institute for Culture, Religion and World Affairs.

Table of Contents

Series PrefaceVolume Preface

List of Contributors

Introduction: A Demographic Profile of Christianity in OceaniaGina A. Zurlo

Christianity in OceaniaKatalina Tahaafe-Williams

Countries

French PolynesiaRichard A. Davis and Marc Pohue

Cook Islands, NiueNga Mataio

TongaSolo Tafokitau

Sāmoa, American SāmoaFetaomi Tapu-Qiliho

Tuvalu and TokelauTeatu Fusi

Micronesia, Kiribati, NauruSoama Tafia

Guam, Micronesia (Fed States of), Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, PalauFrancis X. Hezel

New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna IslandsNathalie Cawidrone

FijiRusiate Tuidrakulu

VanuatuRandall Prior

Solomon IslandsBrian McDonald-Milne

Papua New GuineaJack Urame

New ZealandGeoffrey Troughton

AustraliaAndrew Dutney

Major Christian Traditions

AnglicansBrenda Reed

IndependentsKenneth R. Ross

OrthodoxDoru Costache

ProtestantsGraham Joseph Hill

Roman CatholicsRocío Figueroa and Philip Gibbs

EvangelicalsStuart Lange

Pentecostals/CharismaticsKevin Hovey

Pacific Conference of ChurchesFeleterika Nokise

Key Themes

Faith and CultureUpolu Vaai

Worship and SpiritualityTau'alofa Anga'aelangi and Tanya Riches

Theology, Darrell Jackson and Nasili Vaka'uta

Social and Political ContextAisake Casimira

Mission and EvangelismFa'afetai Aiavā

GenderVictoria Kavafolau

Religious FreedomJacqueline Ryle

Inter-Religious RelationsElizabeth Krishna and Tessa Mackenzie

Integrity of CreationCliff Bird

Indigenous SpiritualityCruz Karauti-Fox

Migration and DiasporaAndrew Williams

Conclusion: The Future of Christianity in OceaniaKatalina Tahaafe-Williams

Appendices

Christianity by Country

Methodology and Sources of Christian and Religious AffiliationTodd M. Johnson and Gina A. Zurlo

Index

Editorial Reviews

Christianity in Oceania provides a comprehensive and powerfully insightful resource for understanding the Christian faith and its many expressions within Oceania. [...] This volume stands as a significant text for understanding Oceanian Christianity today.

International Bulletin of Mission Research - Mikenzie Ling

This significant volume is a definitive contribution to Oceanic Christian self-understanding. It is impressive in both its scope and its fine-grained attention to the nuances and diversities of Pacific belief and practice. Sensitively framed critical insider analysis provides a local voice, rendering it an accessible and valuable regional and global resource.

Associate Professor Hugh Morrison