Welcome August 4, 2003 Issue

The rising South

Warren Bolon

THAT LOOKS LIKE A SERIOUS BOOK," my dental hygienist said. I'd put The Next Christendom next to her picks, hooks, and scrapers. "Yeah, serious," I said, "but not as dense as it looks," leaving out the fact that I like books that help me think outside the chair.

She hooked the green paper bib around my neck and asked, "But isn't Islam the biggest religion in numbers?" No, actually there are more Christians. To many European and American eyes, though, Christianity looks to be declining. But Philip Jenkins, the author of that book, says that in Africa, South America, and Asia, it's growing rapidly and will continue to expand in coming decades. Christianity's center is shifting southward. "That's a surprise," she said.

I was only a little surprised to be talking about world religion trends with my masked friend. After all, we're in Lancaster, New Hampshire, a town of churchgoers. Five churches line Main Street—Episcopal, Congregational, Methodist, Christian Science, and Catholic—all Christian churches, with white clapboard sanctuaries (this is New England). They vary in theology and worship styles, but do have one other common denominator: pretty much all-white congregations (this is northern New England).

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