The Spirit Moves West

Korean Missionaries in America

Rebecca Y Kim author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc

Published:19th Feb '15

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The Spirit Moves West cover

With the extraordinary growth of Christianity in the global south has come the rise of "reverse missions," in which countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America send missionaries to re-evangelize the West. In The Spirit Moves West, Rebecca Kim focuses on South Korea as a case study of how non-Western missionaries evangelize Americans, particularly white Americans. Known as the "Asian Protestant Superpower," South Korea now sends more missionaries abroad than any country except the United States; there are approximately 22,000 Korean missionaries in over 160 countries. Drawing on four years of in-depth interviews, participant observation, and surveys of South Korea's largest non-denominational missionary-sending agency, University Bible Fellowship, Rebecca Kim gives us an inside look at reverse missions. Conducting her research both in the US and South Korea, she studies the motivations and methods of Korean evangelicals who have sought to "bring the gospel back" to America since the 1970s. She also explores how a mission movement from the global South could evolve over time in the West. The Spirit Moves West is the first empirically-grounded examination of a much-discussed phenomenon, which concludes by considering what the future of non-Western, especially Korean, missions will bring.

This is a highly informative book that would benefit any student of religion...this clearly written, well-organized book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on missionizing and the globalization of religion. * Kelly H. Chong, University of Kansas, The Journal of Religion *
Kim's book deals with significant issues in the history and sociology of religion such as sect to church development, neo-colonialism, the religious other, the rise of Christianity in the global south, and the supposed secularization of America. This book is well organized and informative and can be digested by individuals new to the academic study of religion while being illuminating for the seasoned scholar. * Maclane E. Heward, Reading Religion *
imaginative, rich, and thought-provoking study * K. Kale Yu, Sociology of Religion *
A powerful tale of a growing movement-missionaries to the United States. Wonderfully researched and written, The Spirit Moves West is engaging, important, and a page-turner. For most readers, what is contained in these pages is stunning. * Michael O. Emerson, Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University *

ISBN: 9780199942121

Dimensions: 155mm x 231mm x 20mm

Weight: 340g

256 pages