Dr. Robert moderates panel on spirituality in the African diaspora
On Thursday March 27th, CGCM's Director Dr. Dana Robert moderated a panel on ‘Christianity and Spirituality in the African Diaspora,’ presented by the Association of Black Seminarians. Dr. Robert opened her remarks by highlighting some of the history of Boston University's School of Theology and Africa, a relationship that richly intersects civil rights and human rights, many through mission connections of African Americans in Africa. The School of Theology also has a history of faculty teaching and researching Africa, as well as people with ongoing ministries in the continent.
The panelists were diverse and included pastor and doctoral student Rev. Derek Muwina, ethicist Dr. Peter Paris, and African historian Dr. John Thornton. Rev. Muwina addressed some of the challenges that Christians should address going forward, such as the inclusion and recognition of women, so that churches can embrace the full dignity of all its members. Dr. Paris pointed to African indigenous religions as a potential resource for constructing a holistic and contextualized African theology. Dr. Thorton shared his research that shows Africans from the Congo were active in introducing African Catholic Christianity to Diaspora communities in the New World. The panel was attended by faculty, students, and members of the community, and a lively discussion followed. This was a successful start to hopefully more discussions in the School of Theology about religion in the African Diaspora.
Christian Healing and Women Leaders in Madagascar
Michele Sigg, PhD student and Project Manager for the Dictionary of African Christian Biography, has recently published an article entitled "Carrying Living Water for the Healing of God's People: Women Leaders in the Fifohazana Revival and the Reformed Church in Madagascar," in the journal Studies in World Christianity, Volume 20 (April 2014), pp. 19-38. Well done Michele! You can read the abstract below, and link to the article here.
Abstract: For over one hundred years the Fifohazana Revival has played a key role in the spread of Christianity in Madagascar. The Fifohazana is an indigenous Christian movement that seeks to serve Malagasy society through the preaching of the Gospel and a holistic ministry of healing in community.
This article summarises the findings of a study that explored the role of women leaders as holistic healers in the Fifohazana revival movement and the Reformed Church (FJKM) in Madagascar. Based on interviews with four women ministering in the Fifohazana or the Reformed Church, including a rising leader in the revival movement, this study highlights the importance of women leaders as radical disciples and subversive apostles in the Fifohazana revival movement and in the Reformed Church. As such, these women have been instrumental in bringing renewal into the church through the work of the Holy Spirit in the holistic healing ministry of the Fifohazana.
Panel on Christianity and Spirituality in the African Diaspora, March 27th
The Association of Black Seminarians presents a panel on 'Christianity and Spirituality in the African Diaspora.' The Panelists are Dr. Peter Paris, Dr. John Thornton and Rev. Derek Muwina. CGCM director Dr. Dana Robert will be the moderator.
Date and Time: March 27th at 5:30-7:15
Place: CAS B 36
Athyal Elected NEMAAR Vice-President
Dr. Jesudas Athyal, a Visiting Researcher at the CCGM, has been elected vice-president of the New England-Maritimes region of the American Academy of Religion. He is the Editor of the recently completed Religion in Southeast Asia: An Encyclopedia, and Associate Editor, Oxford Encyclopedia of South Asian Christianity (2 volumes), on the 2000 years of Christianity in South Asia that was published in 2011.
Conference Invitation: Can the Native Christian Speak? Discerning the Voices of Indigenous Christians
Emory University's Chandler School of Theology extends an invitation to all interested in a one day conference: Can the Native Christian Speak? Discerning the Voices of Indigenous Christians in Missionary and Colonial Archives, Wednesday, May 28, 2014, 8:45am – 5pm
Location: Emory Conference Center Hotel, 1615 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322
$10 to attend.
This one-day conference will gather together historians of World Christianity to discuss one of the great difficulties in their work, which is a lack of historical materials produced by non-European Christians. Much of what we know about past Christian communities in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania comes from work produced by foreigners, especially missionaries and colonial officials. The scholars will discuss both the problems and possibilities of working with western archives, with their particular silences and voices. The panel presentations will lay the foundations for a published volume of essays on this topic, edited by Candler’s Arun W. Jones, the Hankey Associate Professor of World Evangelism.
Conference Schedule - Emory Conference Center Hotel:
7:30 – 8:45 a.m. Breakfast
8:45 – 9:00 a.m. Welcome and introductions
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. ASIA: Papers by Adrian Hermann, Mrinalini Sebastian, Haruko Ward
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. Public discussion of papers on Asian Christianity
10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Break
11:00 – 12:00 p.m. AFRICA AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA: Papers by Jay Carney, Paul Kollman, Dianne Diakité
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Public discussion of papers on African Christianity
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. THE AMERICAS: Papers by Kenneth Mills, Christopher Vecsey, Yanna Yannakakis
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Public discussion of papers on Christianity in the Americas
3:00 – 3:30 p.m. Break
3:30 – 4:00 p.m. RESPONSES: Gyanendra Pandey, Dana Robert
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Public discussion of all papers and responses
4:30 p.m. Adjournment
For questions or more information, contact Arun Jones at arun.w.jones@emory.edu or at 404-727-108
The 2014 BTI Costas Consultation in Global Mission will be held March 28th!
The 2014 BTI Costas Consultation in Global Mission is approaching! All are invited to attend on March 28th, 2014, 1pm-8pm. The theme is the Persecution of Christians in the middle East, with keynote speaker Bishop Elias Toume of Wadi Al Nassara, local Bishop in Homs, Syria, and Professor at the University of Balamand, Lebanon, as well as a special lecture by Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, Harvard University, and former Vice-Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The program also includes a film about Christians in Iraq, "Displaced in their Homeland," student papers, and dinner. See attachment for program details.
Location: Hellenic College Holy Cross, 50 Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA 02445.
For further questions or information, call Fr. Luke Veronis 774-230-6985; or email Daryl Ireland direland3@gmail.com.
Call for Papers: ‘Missionaries, Materials and the Making of the Modern World’
Cambridge University has issued a call for papers for a conference on the theme 'Missionaries, Materials and the Making of the Modern World' in Cambridge, 15-17 September, 2014. See attached flyer for details (CfP-MissionsMaterialsModernWorld). For more information contact Dr. Chris Wingfield cw543@cam.ac.uk, Senior Curator (Archaeology) Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology,University of Cambridge. To submit an abstract email, ga343@cam.ac.uk.
Travel grants for research on racial and ethnic diversity in American Evangelicalism
The Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals (ISAE) at Wheaton College (IL) is offering a limited number of research travel grants in connection with studies that highlight the historic and contemporary racial and ethnic diversity of American Evangelicalism. Aimed at both doctoral students and currently-employed faculty, the grants are intended to defray travel, lodging, meal, and copying expenses for research in the upcoming 2014-2015 academic year. While the ISAE’s focus has traditionally been historical, these grants are intended to encourage good work that advances our understanding of the scope and shape of evangelicalism—applications from scholars in other disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, missiology, religious studies, and others are also encouraged to apply. A total of five (5) grants in the amount of $2,000 will be made to graduate students currently in the process of researching and writing their dissertations, as well as five (5) awards of $1,000 targeting faculty members in the process of researching areas relevant to this competition. The awards are made possible by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation in connection with an earlier ISAE conference on "The Changing Face of Evangelicalism." All applications must be received by April 30th, 2014.
Global religion part of the conversation for the launch of the Pardee School of Global Studies
A recent panel held in Santa Monica, CA, in honor of Frederick S. Pardee, included panelists Andy Bacevich, Jonathan Simon, Dana Robert (CGCM Director), Adil Najam, and Tony Janetos. Panelists discussed issues of “Advancing the Global Human Condition,” including those of urbanization, war and peace, environmentalism, and the meaning of global human community. You can watch a video of the discussion on BUniverse.
African Studies Center News
BU's African Studies Center has just released a new newsletter. Check it out! Our own Liz Parsons will be giving a Walter Rodney lecture on March 3, “Witchcraft in the Workplace: Lessons from Zambia on Living Lightly in a Heavily Developed World." It will be from 12-1:30 pm at 325 Bay State Rd., Room 505.