The future of Christianity

June 15, 2007

Some excellent notes have come out around the web from the Q conference.

Via churchrelevance.com -

Kevin Kelly of Wired magazine on the next 1,000 years of Christianity

A World of Change

The Internet is about 4,000 days old. Our world is changing. In fact, no U.S. president has died under the same flag he was born under. The future is nothing more than small changes over time.

One way to think about the next 1,000 years of Christianity is by generations. It is really not that far away.

60 generations ago was the time of Abraham.
30 generations ago was the time of Christ.
13 generations ago was 1000 A.D.

Think of the next 1,000 years of Christianity as 13 generations. What can you do to affect the next 13 generations? A chain of 13 people.

Life in 1000 A.D.

13 generations ago there was:

• official anti-semitism in the church
• illiteracy
• few Bibles
• no change in a lifetime
• practice of indulgences

Christians were not aware of how they would shape the future, but their focus on a God-organized world was instrumental in science. A lot has changed in 13 generations.

In 2040 

Half a generation from now, the world will experience:

• the end of the Baby Boomers
• a shrinking world population
• China as the largest economy
• 80% of the world’s population living in cities

In fact, it is predicted that 30% of China will be Christian by 2040.

Christianity Circles the Globe

1 AD :: Christianity begins in Israel
500 AD :: Christianity’s center moves to Rome
1000 AD :: Christianity’s center moves to Europe
2000 AD :: Christianity’s center moves to North America
2500 AD :: Christianity’s center moves to Asia?

See the rest of the notes here, and also additional notes on the conference from the l2foundation 

Posted in Culture, Faith, Quotes, future