Interpreting the Signs of the Times
The CGCM is delighted to post the announcement and call for papers for the upcoming Costas Consultation on World Mission and Ecumenism. This year's theme is contemporary challenges for African Christianity. The Rev. Jean Luc Enyegue, SJ (CGCM graduate student) will be speaking from a Cameroonian perspective. See the announcement and call for papers below (click to enlarge).
Evangelicals Around the World
In the newly released Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century, Gina Zurlo explains how evangelicals are counted. In an age when statistics are despised as "saying anything you want," Zurlo walks readers through the process of how the data is collected, analyzed, and interpreted so as to arrive at a reliable number of Evangelical Christians in the world. It is the only publication of its kind.
Zurlo is a PhD candidate at Boston University, and is writing her dissertation on David Barrett and Christian demography.
Handbook of Popular Spiritual Movements in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia
This new volume, edited by Michael Nai-Chiu Poon and John Roxborogh, will provide broad insight into Christianity in major parts of South East Asia. Not only was CGCM director Dana Robert involved in the planning of the volume, but also a number of BU alumni made contributions, including consulting editor Charles Farhadian (’00), Daryl Ireland (’15), Septemmy Lakawa (’11), and David Scott (’13). 
New England-Maritimes Regional Meeting of the American Academy of Religion Call for Papers
NEMAAR Regional Coordinator James T. Bretzke, S.J. sent out the following announcement about the upcoming meeting:
We have posted our Call For Papers on the AAR/NEMAAR Web-site at https://www.aarweb.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/Membership/Regions/NEMAAR/NEMAAR2016CallForPapers.pdf and we want to encourage as broad a participation as possible.
Panel Proposals and/or 2 or more papers on a common theme are especially welcome. There is no set overall theme for theApril 2, 2016 Conference so we welcome papers in all areas of Theology and Religious Studies.
By January 19, 2016 please e-mail send your one-page, double-spaced Paper Proposal in an electronic file (doc, docx, or pdf) named with your own surname to NEMAAR Regional Coordinator James Bretzke at bretzke@bc.edu with “NEMAAR Paper Proposal” in the Subject Line. Include within the proposal itself your own name, your institutional affiliation, andcontact information.
By the end of January all those submitting proposals will be notified if their proposal has been able to be accepted or not.
All presenters must be active (i.e., "paid up" members of the AAR) by March 1, 2016 in order to be confirmed for the April 2nd Conference.
The Conference will be held at the Boston College School of Theology & Ministry at 9 Lake St., Brighton MA 02135 (at the end of the Green "B" Line (Boston College).
The plenary speaker will be Dr. Kwok Pui-Lan of the Episcopal Divinity School who will be speaking on Postcolonial Studies of Christianity.
Our annual NEMAAR business meeting, chaired by NEMAAR President Dr. Ronald Bernier, will also take place at the Conference.
We are also accepting nominations for the position of NEMAAR Vice-President (who then succeeds to the post of president). If interested please send a brief CV and candidate statement to bretzke@bc.edu.
United Methodist Committee on Relief
BU Alum Jack Amick is currently assistant general secretary for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) International Disaster Response. Currently, UMCOR has partnered with the International Orthodox Christian Charities in order to assist Syrian refugees living in Jordan.
You can find more information and how to get involved here: http://www.umcor.org/umcor/resources/news-stories/2015/november/1119winterchillinjordan
CGCM at Civilitas
(left to right: Todd Johnson, Dana Robert (CGCM), and Ken Ross)
Civilitas is a new organization that seeks to encourage evangelicals to have important conversations about difficult topics. It is born out of the initiative of the Rev. Doug Birdsall, former president of the American Bible Society and the Lausanne Movement. Birdsall was motivated to start conversations after the white-supremacist Dylann Roof killed nine innocent people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015. Birdsall was saddened, outraged, and disturbed that black men and women could not feel safe in their own churches.
He brought together Christian pastors and academics from diverse backgrounds to have conversations about what happened and how to heal. This effort led to the foundation of the Civilitas Group.
A number of the CGCM's members and affiliates were present at the recent founders dinner in Boston. It was a very well attended event, which bodes well for the future of this important organization.
Tyler (CGCM) and Julie Lenocker
The Civilitas Group is still getting started. More information can be found in an article in Gordon College's The Bell: http://stories.gordon.edu/dialogue-in-action-gordon-student-scholars-and-the-civilitas-group/.
Artist Jim Crane combined comedy and the prophetic tradition
Jim Crane's tragicomics made a powerful impact on readers of motive magazine. They were witty, insightful, and asked viewers to consider the consequences of war, human selfishness, and brokenness. Jim was an art professor at Eckerd College, where he pushed his students to think critically about deeper themes and issues.
After two years of declining health, Jim died in hospice care on November 8, 2015. He was 88.
It has been the privilege of Boston University School of Theology to work with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry to launch a digital archive of motive magazine. This project is deeply connected to Jim and his legacy. As CGCM student Ada Focer "It is such a blessing that we were able to affirm for Jim, at the end of his life, that his work was being made available for a new generation to appreciate."
Claire McNeill of the Tampa Bay Times wrote a wonderfully fitting obituary, and it can be found here: http://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/eckerd-colleges-jim-crane-was-an-artist-who-taught-artists/2254057.
Shifting Global Systems?
The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies will be hosting a graduate student conference on shifting global systems. We encourage students to submit papers!
World Christianity and the Holiness Movement
In September 2015, The Global Institute for the Fourfold Gospel Theology at Seoul Theological University launched the new peer-reviewed journal World Christianity and the Fourfold Gospel. Scholars from around the world contributed articles, launching a new periodical focused on the ways in which the international holiness movement helped to construct world Christianity.
The Advisory Board has three alumni of the Boston University School of Theology: Myung-soo Park ('92), Sung-Deuk Oak ('02), and Brian Clark ('08). In addition, the managing editor is Yeon-seung Lee ('11).
Articles from World Christianity and the Fourfold Gospel will be indexed in Religion Index One: Periodicals, the ATLA Religion Database, published by the American Theological Library Association.
Celebrating the Legacy of Saint Theresa of Ávila
On Monday, November 30 there is going to be an academic, literary, and musical gathering to explore the life and heritage of Theresa of Ávila. Check the fliers below for times and location: