The Shape of Christian History: Continuity and Diversity in the Global Church

"History," writes Scott W. Sunquist, "only has value as it instructs and guides us" (p. 145). This proposition, coming towards the end of The Shape of Christian History, undergirds the entire project and highlights the fundamental question at its heart: How should Christians, especially those who make themselves its students and teachers, approach the study of history, particularly Christian history? Sunquist aims to provide for Christians a Christ-centered lens by which such study may be approached so that they may gain from it the kind of instruction and guidance that leads towards a full embrace of the purpose to which God calls his children. The volume aims to introduce to readers a "new way of understanding Christian history" that avoids acquiescing to monocultural readings which fail to account for the global phenomenon that is the Christian faith (p. xi).

Sunquist argues that three core concepts must fund a faithful reading of Christian history as God's redemptive work in the world: time, cross, and glory. These three strands comprise the "thin, red thread" (p. 20) which is the transformative message of Christianity from which every expression of the faith around the world grows. These strands form the basis for the structure of the book. In the introduction, Sunquist argues that reading Christian history primarily from a Western standpoint fails to do justice to history. For example, seeking to understand the growth of Christianity in Africa primarily as it relates to the legacy of Western missionary labors does not account adequately for understanding the growth of African Initiated Churches or later growth movements within established denominations (p. 6). A better reading of such history does not mean embracing multiple "Christianities" but in learning to "make sense of the new global Christian movement as a historical movement with a common DNA" (p. 15).

Chapter 1 introduces the reader to historiography, or how historians approach their task. Sunquist is keen to encourage an approach to history that recognizes some of the benefits of how historians have changed their approach to history without giving in to the latent worldview that denies historians the ability (and right) to tell the truth. He desires that Christian historians reject the relativizing impulse of postmodern and postcolonial approaches while accepting that hearing the perspectives of others will help to reach common understandings of history. These common understandings are generally more helpful, nuanced, and, at times, less tidy than a given monocultural interpretation.

Central to this kind of interpretation is the concept of time. In chapter 2, Sunquist explains that the Christian concept of time has a clear beginning, middle, and end: creation ex nihilo, the cross, and the new creation. This view militates against worldviews which view time as cyclical or pointless. "Creation, and a God who created all including a time continuum, is not just an innovation, . . . it brings with it the possibility of development, change, progression, and fulfillment" (p. 77). In short, the Christian view of time offers the world substantial hope. It reads history not as an endless cycle of despair or a meaningless chain, but as an ordered sequence with a hope-filled end.

The cross is central to this sequence. Sunquist argues in chapter 3 that the cross is the "hermeneutical key" to Christianity and to understanding Christian history (p. 90). Sunquist calls the cross the "foundation stone," "touchstone," and "milestone," and so should serve as the Christian historian's interpretive grid or key (pp. 90, 93). This means that one can neither understand nor faithfully interpret and explain the redemptive work of God in the world without it. The cross distinguishes Christian identity, serves as a litmus test for Christian faithfulness, and marks the path forward. Christians are sent out along this path through suffering, a defining mark which Sunquist calls "cruciform apostolicity" (p. 94). Blessed with the grace of the new birth, Christians are called to bear crosses daily on the pilgrim road to glory.

The final strand, glory, provides the end of Christian history. Keeping it in mind helps historians analyze and assess the work and progress of the Church from a divine rather human perspective. This purpose allows the Church to make sense of its suffering in the world and to embrace it as a God-ordained means of expanding the kingdom. Keeping this in mind guards the Church from embracing ideologies that put forth false, man-centered hopes which minimize the God-centered purpose of the world.

Sunquist writes from the conviction that faithful teaching and reading of Christian history in the present age aims to recognize and learn from the voices of the global Church. To do so, Christian historians must guard against biases which would tend to see the development of Christianity throughout history primarily through either a Western or Eastern or Global South lens. Rather than a monocle, Sunquist suggests the use of trifocals. He argues that keeping in view the three strands of time, cross, and glory will "[help] us study history more helpfully and live more faithfully" (p. 146). His argument is narrowly limited and does have two overall weaknesses concerning evidence and comparison to other approaches.

First, he limits his evidence. Throughout the volume, Sunquist turns to his own experience, previous works, and examples from the global Church—either those he has seen/heard personally or those drawn from Church history. Together these form a compelling narrative for the point he intends to make. Sunquist aims not to analyze history, but to offer an illuminated path into it. His dependence on largely anecdotal evidence to elucidate his points serves as an invitation to students and practitioners to put his theory to the test in more rigorous analyses of Church history.

Second, though he does explain how his theory fits within the spectrum of approaches to history, historiographers would likely find his overview of the philosophy of history lacking. Sunquist is an accomplished and capable historian. The weakness here comes not from any lack of understanding but rather the narrow focus of his audience: professors of introductory classes on Christian history and students. This audience will likely appreciate the brief overview of how his approach compares to other approaches to history without getting into the minutiae of competing histories (pp. 1–51). The book would serve particularly well as a primer for those using his text on Christian mission, Understanding Christian Mission: Participation in Suffering and Glory (Baker Academic, 2013); or his two-volume Christian history with Dale Irvin, History of the World Christian Movement (Orbis, 2012).

Time. Cross. Glory. One may think a few threads can hardly suspend an approach to studying the expansion of the kingdom of God. Sunquist might say that is exactly the point. Left on their own, they are certainly deficient. And to approach Christian history with only one or two will result in skewed outcomes. However, braid the three together and the resulting cord holds firm.