North Central College in the News
North Central College religious studies professor quoted in CNN
Apr 14, 2023
Perry Hamalis weighed in on predictions about the decline of Christianity in America
Each spring, millions of Americans celebrate the holiest day in the Christian calendar, and most will hear some variation of an Easter message focused on new life in unforeseen places. However, that message could also describe a surprising prediction about the future of Christianity in the U.S.
For years, church leaders and commentators have warned that Christianity is dying in America. They say the American church is poised to follow the path of churches in Western Europe: soaring Gothic cathedrals with empty pews, shuttered church buildings converted into skate parks and nightclubs, and a secularized society.
Many religious scholars say the American church may find salvation in another demographic trend: the booming of Christianity in what is called the “Global South,” the regions encompassing Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Perry Hamalis, Cecelia Schneller Mueller Professor of Religion at North Central College, was interviewed by CNN reporter John Blake, where he shared he personally witnessed the vitality of the Christian church in the Global South while spending time as a Fulbright Scholar in South Korea.
“Christianity was looked at not as a religion of empire and of the colonizers, but as the religion of the anti-colonial movement and of pro-democracy,” said Hamalis.
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