While Christianity is declining in Europe, it is flourishing in the southern hemisphere. What makes Christian faith and Christian churches attractive to people in the South? Above all, the author concentrates on the potential of Christianity to improve people's living conditions, to foster hope and commitment. The author has examined this growth in African, Asian and Latin American settings - in Tanzania, Myanmar and Perú - and assessed doubtful forms of stimulating this kind of hopes, such as those who preach a Prosperity Gospel.