Diane B. Stinton

Understanding World Christianity

History & Biography

“Like a striking, stained glass window, Paul Kollman and Cynthia Toms Smedley successfully piece together a myriad of fragments–dark, light, and colorful–of the stories of Christianity in eastern Africa into one compelling, interpretive whole. This work is groundbreaking in the world-Christianity perspective the authors advocate and demonstrate: remarkably comprehensive, yet concise and highly readable. It scrutinizes the past through the lens of present realities, rightfully noting missionary contributions while prioritizing African responses and initiatives that have primarily shaped contemporary expressions of Christian faith. It also analyzes the local region of eastern Africa in relation to the broader world Christian movement, past and present. Artfully crafted and insightfully narrated, this telling of the story of Christianity in eastern Africa is essential reading for anyone interested in the ongoing development of Christian tradition worldwide.”