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Post-Christendom Studies Journal

Post-Christendom Studies is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research on the nature of Christian identity and mission in the contexts of post-Christendom.

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Post-Christendom refers to places, both now and in the past, where Christianity was once a significant cultural presence, though not necessarily the dominant religion. Sometimes “Christendom” refers to the official link between church and state. The term “post-Christendom” is often associated with the rise of secularization, religious pluralism, and multiculturalism in western countries over the past sixty years. Our use of the term is broader than that however. Egypt for example can be considered a post-Christendom context. It was once a leading center of Christianity. “Christendom” moreover does not necessarily mean official public and dominant religion. For example, under Saddam Hussein, Christianity was probably a minority religion, but, for the most part, Christians were left alone. After America deposed Saddam, Christians began to flee because they became a persecuted minority. In that sense, post-Saddam Iraq is an experience of post-Christendom — it is a shift from a cultural context in which Christians have more or less freedom to exercise their faith to one where they are persecuted and/or marginalized for doing so.

Senior Editors

Lee Beach

Lee Beach

Associate Professor of Christian Ministry, Garbutt F. Smith Chair of Ministry Formation, Director of Ministry Formation

 Gordon L. Heath

Gordon L. Heath

Professor of Christian History, Centenary Chair in World Christianity, Director of Canadian Baptist Archives

 Steve Studebaker

Steve Studebaker

Senior Editor of Post-Christendom Studies Journal

Assistant Editors

Dudley A. Brown, McMaster Divinity College
Taylor Murray, Tyndale University

Editorial Board

Najib G. Awad, Hartford Seminary
John E. Franke, Theologian in Residence, Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis and Evangelical Theological Faculty
A. J. Swoboda, Pastor, Theophilus Church, George Fox Evangelical Seminary
Joel Thiessen, Ambrose University

Current Volumes

Submit a Paper

Submissions can fall under a variety of areas of theology, history, culture, and practice. The journal encourages interdisciplinary approaches from a variety of fields of study—e.g., sociology, philosophy, and political science. These approaches may be prescriptive—e.g., an Anabaptist view on post-Christendom—or descriptive—e.g., changing voting patterns among Christians. The following serve as examples of relevant topics within each of these areas. They are intended only as guides.

Theology

  • The relationship between the Church and State, the kingdom of God and earthly kingdoms
  • The role of theology in relation to other disciplines in the contexts of post-Christendom
  • The way post-Christendom affects and changes theological discourse.

History

  • The reasons behind, responses to, the disappearance and decline of Christian communities around the world
  • What can contemporary Christian communities learn from historical experiences of post-Christendom and de-Christianization?

Culture

  • The effects of post-Christendom on culture and the Church—e.g., philosophical, sociological, and political dimensions
  • Changing attitudes towards the Christian faith and its adherents as they are portrayed in arts and media

Practice

  • Challenges for the Church arising from the contexts of post-Christendom
  • Emerging forms of doing Church that attempt to address these challenges
  • Post-Christendom and the proclamation of the Gospel

Guidelines for Articles

All article submissions will be peer reviewed.

Contact the PCS Editors at pcs@mcmaster.ca.