Call for Papers: Mission and Evangelism in a Secularizing World
“Mission and Evangelism in a Secularizing World”
2018 Evangelical Missiological Society Theme
Call for Papers
Secularization has typically been described as that process by which a society attempts to separate and marginalize religious values and institutions from the broader culture and public sphere. Secularization has been largely discussed in the context of the Enlightenment and modernization in Europe and countries of predominantly European descent populations. However, similar processes and influences are increasingly evident in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Numerous theoretical and practical questions arise from this phenomenon:
Can the “religious” be really separated from the “secular” either conceptually or practically?
What are the implications of the answer to this question for evangelism, discipleship,
ecclesiology, and social action?
Have missionaries inadvertently been agents of secularization, as is sometimes claimed? If so,
how should this be addressed today?
How do the processes and impact of secularization differ in various cultural and regional
contexts, e.g. in Western democracies, in totalitarian societies, in industrializing and
modernizing societies?
How might evangelism and mission methods be contextualized to respond to the influences of
secularization?
In what ways are various forms of religious fundamentalism a reaction to the forces of
secularization, and what are the implications of these responses for mission praxis?
How have indigenous expressions of Christianity been influenced by or responded to
secularization?
How is secularism making evangelism, discipleship, and church planting more complex, and
what are some of the creative paths forward to respond meaningfully to these complexities?
Papers are solicited that address these and other related topics from missiological, theological,
historical, sociological, and/or regional perspectives.
To propose a paper, send a topic title and 200-300 word abstract to the Regional vice president Marcus
Dean marcus.dean@houghton.edu . Proposal are to be submitted prior to Jan 15, 2018. Accepted
papers should be 4500-7000 words in length and use Chicago Turabian author-date citation format.
Selected papers presented at the regional meetings will be invited to be presented at the annual EMS
meeting in Dallas, October 12-14, 2018, leading to the possibility of being published as a chapter in the
EMS Annual Compendium for 2019.
2018 EMS conference chairs:
Craig Ott (cott@tiu.edu), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Jay Moon (jay.moon@asburyseminary.edu), Asbury Theological Seminary