Christianity in the 21st Century

Christianity in the 21st Century

Christianity enters the twenty-first century in a state of profound transformation. In Western Europe, traditional church attendance has declined sharply, leading some to speak of a ‘post-Christian’ society. Yet globally, Christianity continues to grow — particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and East Asia. New movements such as new monasticism, the emerging church, Fresh Expressions, and digital church are reimagining what it means to be Christian in a rapidly changing world. This lesson examines the major trends, challenges, and innovations shaping Christianity today.

Decline and Secularisation in Western Europe

The most dramatic development in twentieth- and twenty-first-century Christianity is the decline of institutional religion in Western Europe. Key statistics illustrate the scale of the change: