Description: Asia is by far the largest continent in the world. The global expansion of the church, which emanated from the Middle East (as explored in the first book in the series) moved along various routes to take root in Asia proper. Christianity in Asia is extraordinarily diverse, with very ancient forms of the faith dating to the time of the apostles. The western church will be enlightened by the dynamic, multi-pronged Asian story of Christianity. Asian Christianity is also distinct due to the numerous non-traditional, house, or cell movements found throughout the region. The diversity of Christianity in Asia makes Christians in this region critical for the future of global Christianity.
Brief description: Amos Yong is Professor of Theology and Mission and the Director of the Center for Missiological Research at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is the author and editor of more than forty books, including Hospitality and the Other: Pentecost, Christian Practices, and the Neighbor (2008). This book is a companion to his The Dialogical Spirit: Christian Reason and Theological Method in the Third Millennium (Cascade, 2014).
Review Quotes: "Uncovering the Pearl brings home a unique excavation of Asian Christianity as the center of Christian gravity makes an inexorable shift to the Global South. Through history, context, and community, the authors tell us the incredibly vivacious, diverse, and complex story. I highly recommend this resource for anyone contemplating church, missions, and theological education and wish to see it inciting newer stories from this infinite region to inform and inspire the rest of the world."
--Jessy Jaison, regional director for South Asia, United World Mission and Overseas Council
"This watershed resource volume fills the gaping information gap on Asian Christianity with the content of both the historical wealth and future possibilities of these various and vibrant forms of the faith. With better knowledge of global interactions and exchanges, we can reconsider our understanding of Christianity through an Asian lens and more faithfully attend to what it has meant to be a Jesus follower engaging our world through the ages to today."
--Tanya Riches, coordinator, Masters of Transformational Development, Eastern College Australia