世界基督教历史的多中心结构

Polycentric Structures in the History of World Christianity

作为世界宗教的基督教和作为学科的教会史基督教是世界性宗教,但作为学科的教会史却停滞不前。在德语学术界内,基督教新教神学系研究教会史始终注目在古代地理范围内。1900年代,全球基督徒中大约有82%生活在北半球,而1980年以来,基督徒中的大多数则生活在所谓的'全球南方'即亚非拉美第三世界国家。2007年,约65%的基督徒生活在第三世界国家,而且还在增长。因而,从全球来看,基督徒并没有在萎缩,像我们在世俗化的欧洲正普遍经历着的人口重心和增长区域已转移至南半球,普世运动讨论中以'重心转移'来命名。教会史学科对其中有些戏剧性的变化有所选择地回应过,身为教会史学者。

Christianity has been global from its very beginnings,within the framework of what was known of the world in different periods.But even in times of Western colonialism and at the height of the Western missionary movement,"globalization"has never been identical with"Europeanization".There always has existed a plurality of regional centers of expansion,indigenous initiatives and cultural versions of Christianity which later contributed significantly to the making of Christianity as a World Religion.The current article gives an introduction to the concept of"polycentric structures in the history of World Christianity".It commends a paradigm shift in studying Christianity as a global movement by giving examples from countries such as India,Ethiopia,South Korea,Sierra Leone,etc,calling a deep reflection upon the current situation of world Christianity.