The report indicates that, at present, 31% of the world's population is Christian and lives out an active faith. In France this figure is only 1.5%! And yet, there are reasons to hope and reasons to mobilise all over again.
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Attending the 4th Lausanne Congress in Seoul-Incheon took me far beyond my usual context of local and national church ministry in Germany to give me a sweeping, and at times dizzying, view of the global Church and its mission.
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Singing the hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’ was a significant moment for me at the opening of Lausanne 4 in Seoul. It speaks of our history and legacy but will we sing its message with a loud voice in the future?
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I am a jobbing sociologist, and the word Shibboleth has found a home in my discipline. It is used to describe the cultural markers which groups use to define who they are – separating “Us” from “Them”. It’s part and parcel of Othering; fostering group solidarity by exclusionary practices. There are many effective shibboleths. The word most often describes language codes but there are broader applications and a plethora of cultural practices which politicise difference.
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