Presbyterian College will host a public lecture by Dr. Scott Sunquist, dean of the School of Intercultural Studies and professor of world Christianity at Fuller Theological Seminary, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Edmunds Auditorium on campus.

The lecture, titled “The Unexpected Christian Century,” is sponsored by the Cornelson Institute for Christian Practice and Vocation and is part of a series of lectures organized by PC’s Department of Religion and Philosophy.

“Dr. Sunquist will highlight the unexpected changes that have taken place in Christianity over the last century,” said Dr. Kirk Nolan, associate professor of religion at PC. “One hundred years ago no one expected that Christianity in Africa and Asia would rapidly expand while at the same time in Europe it would no longer be a significant cultural force.”

Nolan added, “Over the last 20 years Scott Sunquist has revolutionized the study of church history through his study of Christian missions from the first century to the twenty-first. It used to be the study of how Christianity spread from Jerusalem to Europe and the west. Today there is greater attention to its expansion east and south. The future of Christianity is now to be found in the global south and east, rather than in Europe and North America. We are very excited to have such a knowledgeable scholar speak on the subject of his newly released book, The Unexpected Christian Century.”

Sunquist is the author and editor of several books on global Christianity. In 2014 Christianity Today selected his book, Understanding Christian Mission: Participation in Suffering and Glory, as the Best Book in the “Missions/Global Affairs” category. Prior to joining Fuller in 2012, Sunquist served as a professor of world Christianity for 17 years at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Previous to that, he and his wife Nancy were missionaries in the Republic of Singapore, where he lectured in church history, ecumenics, and Asian Christianity at Trinity Theological College.

For more information, contact Nolan at kjnolan@presby.edu.