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Christian Revolution by Mark Shaw (Book Report Sample)

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Book Report on the book, Global Awakening: How 20th-Century Revivals Triggered a Christian Revolution by Mark Shaw. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2010, 221pp.
The review focus on some brief content of the book, and then extensive critiques of the book. Finally, the paper analyzes the books strengths and weaknesses.

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Content:
Global Awakening: How 20th-Century Revivals Triggered a Christian Revolution by Mark Shaw. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2010, 221pp.
Introduction
Mark Shaw work on Global Awakening presents a perfect discussion on historical and sociological aspects of religion. The book is a Christian work which Shaw has managed to argue out the philosophy of religion and its systematic theology. The author has centred on the theme of evangelical resurgence and how it has revived Christianity in the 20th-century. The author has tried to highlight on how Christianity has survived within the threat of secularism. Additionally, the author has explained a set theoretical framework that can be useful for analyzing revivals. For example, personal liberation from sin, radical community and the manner in which individuals have achieved evangelical activism and spiritual dynamics in which Christians undergo through eschatological vision. Morever, Shaw has discussed three major sections, and that is cultural dynamics, exchange of power to new leadership, and aspect of indigenization. Shaw labored to defend his thesis by outlining the 20th-century Christianity revival period using the theoretical framework and analysis tools. The paper seeks to review Shaw’s overall work on Global Awakening. The review will focus on some brief content of the book, and then extensive critiques of the book. Finally, the paper will analyze the books strengths and weaknesses.
On the discussion of evangelical revival, Shaw has supported his argument by giving the causes of these revivals. According to Shaw, while analyzing Christianity revival, three historical stages can be taken into consideration. The first phase is where ancient leadership and forms of spiritual aspects appear insufficient. The second phase is the paradigm phase where contemporary new leaders emerge in the form of movements. The final phase is the power stage where reactionaries attempt to offer a challenge to the new movements. In the context, reactioneries represent the governments or any radical opponents within the revival movement itself. Both the devine attention and human factors prompts some element of care in these revival movements.
Shaw’s thesis comes out so clear in his narration of the on Christian revival movements in the 20th-century all over the world. These movements include the Korean Revival that resurge in 1907, covered in chapter two, Aladura Nigeria Revival the occurred in 1930 covered in chapter three. Shaw also presents the Indian revival that transpired in 1920s and 1930s at Dornakil. He also dicussed on the East African revivals that dominated mostly in Uganda in the year 1940s.The infamous American Revival that happened during the latter half of the century, and the Brazilian revivals that commenced in the 1970s. Finally, Shaw covered the latest revivals that happened in Ghana in the 1990s and the infamous Chinese House Church movements in chapter 8 and nine respectively. The entire series of revivals indicates that these revival movements were palpable by Christians all over the world hence a global phenomenon.
In all these revivals, Shaw argues that global revivals are in the center-most position of the worldwide resurgence of Christianity. The process of revivals can be viewed as a strategy of updating the church to match the contemporary situation in the world. The world is trending, and these create several kinds of dynamics that traverse individuals from a personal level to spiritual position to the community at large. According to Shaw, at the individual level, there is dynamics of personal liberation whereby, both leaders and followers signal a sign of freedom from the burden of spiritual bondage. At the spiritual position, Christian tends to experience aspects of eschatology visions, which transfigures God’s vision of bringing His a kingdom. At the community level, Shaw argues that victims of secularism became advocates of evangelism and spread it to new places.
Shaw’s works have several strength which have managed to defend his thesis. The First strength emanates on the manner in which he has managed to narrate his story with historical references about the global revival movements. Throughout the books layout, Shaw portrays a well-researched work supported by reliable literature and application of his statistical techniques like interview and observations. Additionally, Shaw’s narration prompts the reader to look forward to reading the next chapter. He has achieved this by presenting the narration’s context in a flamboyant, unique, and engaging manner. Despite having his three of eight chapters, covering revivals in Africa, which is his area of specialization, the revival coverage of the Asian continent and America are enough sample to support the authors’ thesis on global Christianity.
Another distinct strength in Shaw’s work is the manner in which he has successfully counter standpoints and notions presented by other scholars. For instance, Shaw believes that Bower, Gifford, and Rose analysis of the book Exporting the American Gospel are simply an american biased export argument. He achieves this by explaining on how different cultural settings and diversified ecclesiastical can manifest aspects of revivals. For example, the Pentecostal group, Non-pentecostal and the Anglicans. According to the author, each revival exhibited diversified emphasis upon its evangelical convictions. For example, the massive conversion in India, the speaking in spiritual tongues in Brazil, famous repentance in Uganda and the miraculous heals in Nigeria. The Author suggests that the revival occurred spontaneously all over the worl...
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