Welcome to the Global South Theological Journal
Rev. Dr. Samuel Deressa,
editor
(Concordia University, St. Paul)
Christianity in the twenty-first century has experienced one major phenomenon that scholars have been describing for the last few decades— the decline of Christianity in the Global North (Europe and North America) and its rise in the global South (Africa, Asia, and South America). The Global South has become the home to most Christians in our world. This implies that the center of Christianity has shifted to Africa, Asia, and South America, and it is likely that these regions will remain the new strongholds of Christianity for decades or even centuries to come.
The Global South Theological Journal (GSTJ) has started with the purpose of publishing fresh thinking and insights related to issues that Christians in the Global South are facing because of these developments. In other words, it aims at providing insights into how theologians are engaging and exploring some issues that are emerging from the Global South and creating opportunities for the global Christian community to learn from those theological reflections. What can the global Christian community learn from theological reflections in the Global South? What have the Global South theologians to offer the rest?
It is a pleasure to welcome you to this first issue of the GSTJ. This journal is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal published under the Department of Theology and Ministry at Concordia University, St. Paul. The five articles in this issue focus on Christianity in Africa. They address issues such as the significance and impact of the legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the Christian church in Africa, the role of endogenous leaders in the growth of the Lutheran church in Ethiopia, and the life and ministry of Gudina Tumsa, the “African Bonhoeffer.”
So, as you read this journal, I encourage you to read it with an open mind to learn from the Christian tradition in Africa.