Global Christianity Today: Vatican II, Pentecostalism and the Global South

Christianity is the world's largest religion, with roughly 2. 3 to 2. 4 billion followers, and its center of gravity has shifted dramatically. In 1900 most Christians lived in Europe and North America; today the majority live in Africa, Latin America and Asia. The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) modernized the Catholic Church, allowing Mass in local languages, encouraging dialogue with other religions and affirming religious freedom.

Pentecostalism, born in early 20th-century revivals such as the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906, emphasizes the Holy Spirit, healing and emotional worship, and it has grown enormously, especially in Africa and Latin America. Meanwhile, church attendance has declined in much of Europe. Christians today disagree on many social issues, and churches range from traditional to progressive. Studying these shifts reveals how a religion can change its geography, style and leadership while keeping core beliefs.