Dead White Males? Global Christianity Is Anything But…

Happy International Women’s Day! And on that theme, a thought as we head through Lent towards Easter. Media and our own Christian minds, posts and mouths can make Western (certainly American and British Protestant Christians) feel that theirs is a dying faith of literal dead white males (with the occasional woman in the mix). Followed by dying elders, diminishing congregations and sold off empty, unfilled church buildings. And the living can be quite disparaging of the very much alive (though perhaps ageing or small sized) communities in their midst.

Though we Christians follow someone who was anything but (dead, white, disparaging, numbers growth focused). Instead, though very much male, Jesus was young(ish) as a 30-something and brown. And He was followed by an extraordinary amount of women (of all sorts of backgrounds) to whom, despite the movie and musical representations, he behaved in an honourable, trustworthy, safe and respectful way. In no way were these female followers his groupies — instead they were his equals, disciples and supporters.

All the time he was a safe man — even when no-one was looking. Even if he was challenging them about their dodgy lifestyles at the same time — viz, the woman at the well and her…7… unofficial/official ‘husbands’. Goodness, he’d even talk in public to women with reputations in the heat of the noon-day sun. (Breaking all social conventions in one request for some water to quench his thirst). And standing up for the woman who was about to be stoned for adultery, whilst the man caught with her stayed very much alive and un-stoned. (And the men about to throw the stones ignored the law in favour of custom and keeping the patriarchy in power until Jesus started writing on the ground. Then suddenly, they all melted away)…

During an excruciating death, he was even considerate enough to remember the care of his mother and entrust her to a trustworthy man, the Apostle John, to look after her and provide for her as a son did for his mother in this culture.

However, despite our focus on seemingly dead, middle-class, irrelevant, losing social influence white church, the global church is anything but (and much of the UK too):

““If 100 Christians represented all of global Christianity, 67 would live in Asia, Africa, Latin America or Oceania, while 33 would live in Europe or Northern America. Most would be found in urban areas (65) as opposed to rural (35). Linguistically, 16 would speak Spanish as their mother tongue, 10 English, 8 Portuguese, 5 Russian and 3 Mandarin Chinese. Most (64) would be between the ages of 15–64, while 26 would be under 15. Eleven Christians would be illiterate, and 35 would have little to no access to secondary education…. Fourteen would have no access to safe water, and five would have malaria. Most Christians (79) would live in countries with moderate to high corruption; 35 would live in countries with low development. A typical Christian today is a non-white woman living in the Global South*, with lower-than-average levels of societal safety and proper health care**. This represents a vastly different typical Christian than that of 100 years ago, who was likely a white, affluent European.”*

If this is to be believed, then the religion of the coloniser, whilst mis-used horribly to oppress, deny traditions and keep in political/formal educational/social status and power limitations and enslavement, still continues to be embraced, turned around and made culturally and socially relevant. Embedded. Partly because Christianity spread out across the Roman Empire and beyond during times of persecution and was already know and embedded locally across North Africa, Asia and beyond pre-colonisation. But also partly because Christianity has always been pro-women and diverse, even when we’ve (and others before us, especially those in power) have tried to make it say something different with different outcomes. How can we not get ‘For God so loved the world?’… Simples?

And we white Protestants need to radically change how we think about Christianity and Christians. (Whilst bickering less about ‘social justice’ and really learning to love the city as well as rural and suburban communities as the world becomes more and more unloving).

At a women’s day event recently at my workplace, the group discussed all the things we’re carrying, all the burdens. People shared lists which made for sobering reading and listening. In that room, at that moment, listening to weary, burdened women I was struck by how much women need Jesus to take the burdens, to carry the burdens and walk with us in the burden carrying, to recognise and see us in the burdens, in life, in the weight of life. And walk alongside us, to lift us up and hold us up, to sustain us. Even if some very vocal males of every hue (alive and dead) are telling us otherwise.

*Quote from The Vibrancy of the Global Church | National Association of Evangelicals

Not a fan of the term Global South for ‘Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania’, — but it is vastly superior to all the derogatory terms that have gone before.

** At the same time global Christian women may not be ‘generic people living in economic deprivation’ that we’re used to seeing pictures of in white Western media. Just their lives are much harder, in terms of securing money to stay alive and feed themselves/families, access to resources, well-paid jobs, education and health care and personal/political/spiritual safety. (In some places, because they are women, and sometimes because they are women who are Christians)

• Only focusing on a particular kind of Protestantism here; I’m aware that Roman Catholicism has always been more diverse. (But has also had its only issues of mis-use, abuse and colonisation).

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