News of the extended network of faculty, alumni, students, visiting researchers, and mission partners is regularly updated, and some of the big ideas or major events in Global Christianity are covered in the CGCM News.
Dana L. Robert Awarded the William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professorship
Hearty congratulations to the Center for Global Christianity and Mission's Director, Dr. Dana L. Robert, on being awarded Boston University's William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professorship!
International Mission & Ecumenism Certificate
The Stories Behind the Names of the Orthodox Christians in the CHCD
On September 11, 2023, at 10:30 EST (Boston), Dr. Aleksandrs Dmitrenko will present a talk on "The Stories Behind the Names of the Orthodox Christians in the China Historical Christian Database." Join us on Zoom.
In the presentation on Orthodox missionaries and lay people in China, Dr. Aleksandrs Dmitrenko will uncover some of the names and stories of people who will appear shortly in the China Historical Christian Database (CHCD). For instance, learn about:
- A woman from Edinburgh who was raised in an Anglican family studied in Russia, and went to China as a
refugee, became an Orthodox nun, and died in the GULAG around 1955. - Orthodox priests who converted to the Eastern Catholic Church and Roman Catholic priests who joined the
Orthodox Church. - Members of the Russian Fascist Party, White Russians, and supporters of the Communists.
- St. John of Shanghai.
- The brother of the Russian painter and theosophist, Nicholas Roerich.
- A victim of the Japanese Unit 731, which ran lethal human experiments on their captives.
- The man who taught English to Emperor Nicholas II.
- And more…
All these very different people came together in one region of China, Manchuria, and many of them lived in the city of
Harbin. Discover the multifaceted world of the Orthodox Church at this crossroads in China, as well as ways the study
of the Russian Orthodox Church in China might be enhanced by the CHCD.
Aleksandrs Dmitrenko has a Ph.D. from the City University of Hong Kong (2017), an MA in Chinese Studies from the National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (2013), and a BA in Asian Studies from the University of Latvia (2010). He primarily focuses on the research of Christianity in China and, foremost, the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in China. His research interests also include Chinese Bible translations, Sino-Russian relations, Chinese history textbooks, and modern Chinese history. He has worked as a postdoc researcher at Heidelberg University, being a member of the research team of the German-Russian project on Chinese Perceptions of Russia and the West during the twentieth century. He is also a former Visiting Researcher at Boston University's Center for Global Christianity & Mission and was involved in the development of the China Historical Christian Database in the area of the Orthodox Church in China.
RSVP
2023 Pizza Party
RSVP
Voice Recital: A Refreshing Summer 2023
New Book: “Christianity in North America”
Edited by Kenneth R. Ross, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, and Todd M. Johnson, "Christianity in North America" combines empirical data and original analysis to offer a uniquely detailed account of Christianity in North America.
This reference volume takes a deep dive into Christianity in every country in North America, presenting reliable demographic information alongside original interpretative essays by locally based scholars and practitioners. It maps patterns of growth and decline, assesses major traditions and movements, analyses key themes, and examines current trends. By giving an exhaustive account of Christianity in every part of North America, this volume will become a standard work of reference in its field.
Tyler Lenocker ('20) has contributed a chapter titled "Northeastern United States" to the book.
More info here.
World Christianity Conference in Ghana: Call for Papers
CALL FOR PAPERS 2024
REVISITING WOMEN AND GENDER IN WORLD CHRISTIANITY
Fifth International, Interdisciplinary Conference co-organized by the World Christianity and History of Religions Program (Dept. of History and Ecumenics), Overseas Ministries Study Center, Princeton Theological Seminary; and the Department for the Study of Religions, School of Arts, College of Humanities, University of Ghana
Venue: University of Ghana, Legon March 11 (Monday) – March 15 (Friday) 2024
More info here.
Generosity & Trauma
In her new book, Kemurahhatian & Trauma, Septemmy Lakawa ('11) argues that in the aftermath of religious communal violence in Indonesia, Christian mission practice should take the form of hospitality. Lakawa, the Associate Professor of Mission Studies at Jakarta Theological Seminary, received a grant to fulfill her wish: to have her dissertation first published in Indonesian.
The book particularizes hospitality by identifying the missiological dimension of local Indonesian hospitality as a vital Christian interreligious practice in the aftermath of religious communal violence in Duma on June 19, 2000. Specifically, the study brings a local Indonesian Protestant community's responses to violence into conversation with the Protestant theological discourse on the cross, martyrdom, religious difference, and the Holy Spirit.
What surfaces is the importance of local traditions of hospitality as a relevant mission practice. Risky hospitality repositions mission at the boundary of the Christian self and the religious Other. Practicing hospitality at this frontier is a delicate undertaking, for it is shaped by the religious communities' shared history of violence and its traumatic effects as well as by the communities' commitments to peace and reconciliation. Her book underscores the importance of linking trauma, healing, and the Holy Spirit in further studies on mission and religious pluralism in the aftermath of religious communal violence.
Grace May’s New Book “The Quest for Biblical Servant Leadership: Insights from the Global Church”
Rev. Dr. Grace May's new book "The Quest for Biblical Servant Leadership: Insights from the Global Church," is out now and available on Amazon. The book is edited by The book's abstract reads:
"Improve your service. While many claim to offer models of leadership suitable for contemporary society, this book goes a notch higher by doing so through the prism of Jesus's servant leadership. As the servant-leader par excellence, Jesus not only taught but demonstrated service by stooping down and washing his disciples' feet. This book distills the experience and wisdom of men and women who have practically benefited from Jesus's leadership. Reflective of the global church, all the authors speak of a servant leadership inspired by love, honoring of God, humble in approach, and seeking the welfare of others without neglecting a healthy self-regard. Whether you work on-site or remotely, you will find the grist for robust leadership. This book is a must-read for theologians, businesspeople, educators, students, and Christian practitioners seeking to make a difference in our times."
BU at ASM
The American Society of Missiology met June 16-18, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. Former students connected to the CGCM gathered for a meal together. In addition, three of the executive committee of the ASM are now Center alumni: Ben Hartley (President), Bill Gregory (Vice-President), and David Scott (Treasurer).