--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: American Christians may be fearful of the…" description: "\"“American Christians may be fearful of the dramatic changes that have already occurred in the world and in American Christianity. Could that fear be ro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/soong-chan-rah-33108_change_american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-th_2904540.jpg" --- # American Christians may be fearful of the dramatic changes… ![“American Christians may be fearful of the dramatic changes that have already occurred in the world and in American Christianity. Could that fear be rooted in a loss of power as the demographics of world Christianity begin to favor non-Western nations? But these changes in Christianity may be…” quote by Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/soong-chan-rah-33108_change_american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-th_2904540.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/soong-chan-rah-33108_change_american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-th_2904540.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/soong-chan-rah-33108_change_american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-th_2904540.jpg) > ““American Christians may be fearful of the dramatic changes that have already occurred in the world and in American Christianity. Could that fear be rooted in a loss of power as the demographics of world Christianity begin to favor non-Western nations? But these changes in Christianity may be exactly what God intended, requiring American Christians to relinquish a historical dominance and embrace a greater mutuality, equality and reciprocity in twenty-first-century world Christianity.”” [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American Christians fear change due to losing dominance; embracing equality may fulfill a divine plan. **In simple terms:** Fear of losing influence fuels resistance to global shifts. Key Takeaway Embrace mutuality and shared leadership. Themes faith change power equality globalization Mood thoughtful hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - church leadership - interfaith dialogue - mission work Key Concepts theology sociology cultural studies Questions to Reflect On - How can churches adapt without losing core values? - What does mutuality look like in practice? A Different Perspective Change can be unsettling and may threaten identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ## Related quotes > [“American Christians have often allowed the world to determine their view of power and privilege, rather than Scripture. This has created an Anglo Christianity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-t-olson/american-christians-have-often-allowed-the-world-to-determine-their/) [David T. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-t-olson/) > [“Part of the scandal of American Christianity is that statistically the U.S. is the most Christian country in the world, and yet as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/part-of-the-scandal-of-american-christianity-is-that-statistically/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [“Also, the Christian worldview has made foundational contributions to our own culture that may not be readily apparent. The deep background for our work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/also-the-christian-worldview-has-made-foundational-contributions-to/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Unblessed are the hypocrites who are proud of their Christianity but fear the devil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/unblessed-are-the-hypocrites-who-are-proud-of-their-christianity-but/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [“A narrative of success propels white evangelicalism over and above other forms of American Christianity. Evangelicals often fail to embrace the important examples of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/a-narrative-of-success-propels-white-evangelicalism-over-and-above/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [The time has come when the whole world must be concerned about me. From now on, American Christianity must follow me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/the-time-has-come-when-the-whole-world-must-be-concerned-about-me/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) > [Early America does not deserve to be considered uniquely, distinctly or even predominantly Christian... There is no lost Golden Age to which American Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-noll/early-america-does-not-deserve-to-be-considered-uniquely-distinctly/) [Mark Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-noll/) > [“If Jesus viewed the desire to acquire political power to be a temptation of the devil, why do so many American Christians fight to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-giles/if-jesus-viewed-the-desire-to-acquire-political-power-to-be-a/) Keith Giles > [“American Christians don’t want to experience community. Or, at least, they want other things more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-c-wilson/american-christians-don-t-want-to-experience-community-or-at-least/) [Jared C. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-c-wilson/) > [There are all kinds of great things that megachurches and successful fundraising appeals can allow you to do, especially in terms of overseas charity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/there-are-all-kinds-of-great-things-that-megachurches-and-successful/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [“Here is a statistic that does matter: Three quarters of Americans believe the Bible teaches that “God helps those who help themselves.” That is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/here-is-a-statistic-that-does-matter-three-quarters-of-americans/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Can you imagine the impact on our own culture if American Christians began using their riches as if they belonged to God?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stearns/can-you-imagine-the-impact-on-our-own-culture-if-american-christians/) [Richard Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stearns/) > [My work in Africa was paid for mostly by American Christians, and I am so thankful for their giving hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhard-bonnke/my-work-in-africa-was-paid-for-mostly-by-american-christians-and-i-am/) [Reinhard Bonnke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhard-bonnke/) > [“The church's primary purpose is not to make America more Christian, but to make American Christians less American and Rwandan Christians less Rwandan. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-katongole/the-church-s-primary-purpose-is-not-to-make-america-more-christian/) [Emmanuel Katongole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-katongole/) > [Too many American (and other) Christians revel in feelings and/or morality and don't care to develop a biblically-shaped Zeitgeist or worldview. The result is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-e-olson/too-many-american-and-other-christians-revel-in-feelings-and-or/) [Roger E. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-e-olson/) ## More by Soong-Chan Rah > [“Lament calls us to examine the work of reconciliation between those who live under suffering with those who live in celebration. Lamentations”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/lament-calls-us-to-examine-the-work-of-reconciliation-between-those/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“Are we so invested in the Western cultural captivity of the church that we are unable to accept God’s right judgment on the broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/are-we-so-invested-in-the-western-cultural-captivity-of-the-church/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“The population dominance of Western Christianity has already come to an end. Western cultural captivity and dominance as an epoch of church history is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/the-population-dominance-of-western-christianity-has-already-come-to/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“While we may lament the loss we experience in Western Christianity, we should acknowledge that it may be God’s will that oppressive Western systems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/while-we-may-lament-the-loss-we-experience-in-western-christianity-we/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“The crying out to God in lament over a broken history is often set aside in favor of a triumphalistic narrative. We are too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/the-crying-out-to-god-in-lament-over-a-broken-history-is-often-set/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“The evangelical culture moves too quickly to praise from lament. We do not hear from all of the voices in the North American evangelical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/the-evangelical-culture-moves-too-quickly-to-praise-from-lament-we-do/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“The spiritual rituals of Native American Christian communities are perceived as exotic pagan practices that dabble in syncretism and are inferior to the rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/the-spiritual-rituals-of-native-american-christian-communities-are/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“An elevated view of one’s self leads to the perception of other cultures through the lens of American Christian exceptionalism. Other cultures are viewed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/an-elevated-view-of-one-s-self-leads-to-the-perception-of-other/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“The dismantling of privilege requires the disavowal of any pretense of exceptionalism. Lamentations”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/the-dismantling-of-privilege-requires-the-disavowal-of-any-pretense/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“Non-Western expressions of Christianity, therefore, can be portrayed as inferior to the successful formula for ministry put forth by many white evangelicals in mainstream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/non-western-expressions-of-christianity-therefore-can-be-portrayed-as/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“Lament challenges the church to acknowledge real suffering and plead with God for his intervention. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/lament-challenges-the-church-to-acknowledge-real-suffering-and-plead/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“For the complete biblical narrative to take root in our community, lament has to become a part of our story. Emmanuel Katongole emphasizes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/for-the-complete-biblical-narrative-to-take-root-in-our-community/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“Korean American immigrants that meet faithfully at 5:00 a.m. every day to pray at the church before embarking on a twelve-hour work day are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/korean-american-immigrants-that-meet-faithfully-at-5-00-a-m-every-day/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) > [“A narrative of success propels white evangelicalism over and above other forms of American Christianity. Evangelicals often fail to embrace the important examples of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/a-narrative-of-success-propels-white-evangelicalism-over-and-above/) [Soong-Chan Rah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) [Explore all 15 Soong-Chan Rah quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“American Christians may be fearful of the dramatic changes that have already occurred in the world and in American Christianity. Could that fear be rooted in a loss of power as the demographics of world Christianity begin to favor non-Western nations? But these changes in Christianity may be exactly what God intended, requiring American Christians to relinquish a historical dominance and embrace a greater mutuality, equality and reciprocity in twenty-first-century world Christianity.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Soong-Chan Rah" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-the-dramatic-changes-that-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-the-dramatic-changes-that-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/soong-chan-rah-33108_change_american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-th_2904540.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/soong-chan-rah-33108_change_american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-th_2904540.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/soong-chan-rah-33108_change_american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-th_2904540.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“American Christians may be fearful of the dramatic changes that have already occurred in the world and in…” — Soong-Chan Rah", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Soong-Chan Rah", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soong-chan-rah/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“American Christians may be fearful of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-the-dramatic-changes-that-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soong-chan-rah/american-christians-may-be-fearful-of-the-dramatic-changes-that-have/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```