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.
Call for Papers: Global Perspectives on Peace, Conflict and Nineteenth-Century Christian Missions
Messengers of Peace? Global perspectives on peace, conflict and nineteenth-century Christian missions
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
12 July 2018
In a famous sermon launching the Missionary Society in 1795, Thomas Haweis proclaimed: ‘We meet under the conduct of the Prince of Peace; and unfurling the banner of his cross, desire to carry the glad tidings of his salvation to the distant lands sunk in heathen darkness, and covered with the shadow of death.’ Similar language was articulated in other places, suggesting that rhetorically, at least, peace language was prominent within the missionary world at the outset of the modern missionary enterprise. But what did such language amount to? How was peace understood, and how central and widespread were ideologies of peace and peacefulness within the global nineteenth-century missionary project? Were there distinctive missionary practices of peace, and what contingencies affected them?
Curiously, such questions have attracted little scholarly attention to date. The theme of peace has not been probed in detail, nor has there been any sustained analysis of nineteenth-century missionary peace ideologies more generally. This workshop aims to redress this situation, assessing missionary ideas and practices of the period in a global, comparative perspective.
While simplistic tropes of religion’s supposed propensity for violence ought rightly to be discarded, questions of peace must be understood in dynamic relation to violence, conflict and war – dimensions that have already received much greater attention. In the post-colonial context, for example, there has been widespread examination of the violence of colonial and imperial projects, and also, importantly, relationships between missions and empire. Burgeoning work on the history of humanitarianism has tended to emphasise moral ambivalence, including connections between violence, humanitarianism and empire.
The workshop will draw upon these strands of scholarship, but aims to move the research agenda forward, using peace as an analytical framework for examining nineteenth-century missionary Christianity and its contexts. I am seeking papers that will address the questions above, examining connections between missions and peace in a variety of settings, including a broad geographical scope. The focus is on the 1800s, especially up to the middle decades of the nineteenth century. The workshop will include papers that address the following sorts of themes:
- Theological understandings of the peace of the gospel and the place of peace in missionary moral imaginaries
- Relationships between peace and humanitarianism, and notions of civilisation and empire, within missionary discourse and practice
- Analyses of diverse forms of missionary peace rhetoric and its effects in and beyond the missionary enterprise
- Missionary ‘pacifism’ and opposition to war, and instances of peacemaking practice
- Missionary views on violence and justifications of war and how these were aligned with, or juxtaposed against, claims to peace
- Comparative perspectives between different missionary organisations, locations or personalities.
Paper proposals, including title, 150-word abstract, and 100-word bio, should be sent to Geoff Troughton (geoff.troughton@vuw.ac.nz) by 11 December 2017.
Successful applicants will be required to send full draft papers of 5000-6000 words by 30 June 2018. All papers will be distributed to participants prior to the workshop.
17th Century African Christian Queen Njinga
European powers expanding into southwest Africa in the 17th century confronted a cunning and capable leader in Queen Njinga. Linda Heywood has been uncovering the story of this complex figure, teasing out how she ruled and what role her faith played in her kingdom. Most recently, she gave lectures on the subject in London and Bristol, England, as she draws closer to the publication of Njinga, History, Memory, and Politics and Culture: Angola and the African Diaspora. This fall, Haywood will lecture on Queen Njinga at the Library of Congress on November 9th (see flyer here) and again on December 14th at the Mariners' Museum. (the photo to the left is of Dr. Heywood at her recent lecture at the Library of Congress).
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
Call for Papers: Religion and the 21st Century City: Openings and Closures
DEPARTMENT FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGIONS
In Collaboration With
SCHOOL OF ARTS
Call for Papers for an International Conference on
RELIGION AND THE 21ST CENTURY CITY: OPENINGS AND CLOSURES
University of Ghana, 20th-22nd June, 2018
Background
Faith communities and religious institutions have been pivotal in the growth of cities and urban communities in the world, usually as cradles around which large cities emerge. While there are concerns about the impacts of the growth of cities on religious life in the post-modern secular society, we are convinced that the continuous urbanization of societies and growth of cities, however, offers both opportunities and challenges to religious life and commitments to the sacred. Particularly, the growth of cities and urban spaces as well as the dynamics of city and/or urban life have provided bothopenings and closures to faiths and religious life with regard to: (i) the conceptualization and definition of religion and religious space; (ii) organization and role of religion and religious institutions; (iii) religious affiliations and identities; and (iv) religious communication and the interpretations of symbols. Consequently, in communities where the sacred still remains central to the lives of people, the phenomenon of religion and the religiosity of individuals in contemporary secular cities are worth paying attention to in both academic and public discourse, not least as results of the continuing growth of urban conurbations. This is undergirded by the default assumption that conceptualizations of, and understanding the phenomenon known as religion, religious communities and institutions are not insulated from, but are impacted, usually negatively, by the myriad developments taking place in contemporary secular cities. However, those default assumptions overlook a salient fact that the growth and constitution of cities and urban polities also contribute to understanding notions and salience of religion and the role of faith communities in myriad ways. It also remains true that, especially in such societies where religious beliefs remain widespread and central to the population, religions and religiosity of groups also try to negotiate or even constraint city life with regard to the social, economic, moral and religious developments in the secular city.
With the understanding, therefore, that the conceptualization, definition and salience of religion and religious life in both public and academic discourse are contingent on how religion is faring within time and space, the dialectical and complex relationships between religious faiths and contemporary secular cities (urban space) and how both respond to the relationship, is worth examining and reflecting on in academic discourse. This is especially so with regard to the implications of this relationship to the understanding and salience of religious faith in contemporary cities. This emphasis is crucial, as the main aim of the conference is to offer research and reflections into how city dwellers understand and negotiate the idea/notion of the sacred in light of the prospects offered and challenges posed by the city or urban life – how cities influence religion. It also delves into how religion and religious aspirations contribute to or constrains conflicting interests that have converged within the city – government interests, corporate interests, interest of groups of people and civil societies, and individual interests – and which further shape the phenomenon, definition/conceptualization, re-organization and relevance of religion in the 21st century city.
Researchers, academics, religious practitioners, and students are hereby invited to submit abstracts/papers related to, but not limited to, any one of the following themes or topics:
- Urbanization, democracy and religion in the city – especially negotiating the conflicts between customary laws (traditional authority) and constitutionality
- Religious pluralism and religious life in the city
- Religion and the media in the city
- Urbanization, religious innovations and manifestations in the city
- Urbanization, cities and the construction of new religious identities
- Religion, morality and human rights in the modern city
- Faiths, urban ecology and environmental sustainability
- Religion, transportation and mobility in the city
- Religious history, monuments and the growth of cities
- The secular city, religious radicalization and resistance
- Cities, consumer societies and religious markets
- Urban space, new religious movements and proselytization
- Cities, sexuality, human rights and religious co-existence
- Dynamics of the city, religion and gender
- Youth, religion and the city
- Migration, migrants and religious communities
- The urban landscape, emerging markets and religious sensibilities
- Urbanization, configurations and of the sacred and new religious movements (NRMs)
- Religion, the urban space and the performing arts
- The urban space, language use and religious communication (political correctness)
Proposal Submissions:
Abstracts, including five key words, and not exceeding three hundred (300) words in Microsoft Word 98 or newer, must be sent to bwkgolo@ug.edu.ghand aatiemo@ug.edu.gh with the subject “Religion and the City Conference 2018”. Author’s contact details (name, department, email address and phone number) should be provided on a separate page.
Deadlines:
Deadlines for the submission of abstracts: January 31, 2018
Notification of acceptance: February 20, 2018
Submission of draft papers: June 1, 2018
Conference Fees:
Local participants: GHC 250
Local student participants: GHC 100
International participants: $ 200
Further information on payments and other practical matters will be communicated after the notification of acceptance of abstracts.
Important Notice:
Conference fees cover stationery, snacks and lunch only. Conference participants are responsible for their own arrangements for accommodation and transport.
However conference organizers recommend the Erata Hotel which is just a few minutes’ walk from the University. Also available is the University Guest House on the campus.
Religion and Democratization
Over the last century, some Western scholars have argued that certain religious traditions--first Catholicism, and increasingly in the contemporary world, Islam--are inherently incompatible with democratic forms of government. In a recent essay published in The Immanent Frame, CGCM faculty associate Jeremy Menchik, remembered the work of political scientist Alfred Stepan. Stepan's scholarship resisted moves to paint any religious tradition as necessarily undemocratic, highlighting through his diligent research ways in which religious communities creatively participate in democratic governance. Much of Stepan's later scholarship centered on the religiously plural context of India and the predominantly Islamic context of Indonesia.
African Pentecostalism
The study of African Pentecostalism has blossomed in the last decade. In his recent essay for the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History, "Pentecostalism in Africa," CGCM faculty associate Nimi Wariboko surveys the current state of historical scholarship on Pentecostalism in different African contexts. He highlights the priorities of such scholarship and points toward important trajectories for future work in the field.
World Methodist and Roman-Catholic Dialogue
2017 marked the 50th year anniversary of official dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Roman Catholic Church. CGCM faculty associate Karen Westerfield Tucker (at the far left in the photo) has participated in this dialogue for the World Methodist Council for many years and was present at a recent audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican to commemorate the anniversary.
Dance as Metaphor of Cross and Mission in Contexts of Trauma
The trauma of violence, discrimination, and war continue to mark the lives of countless Christians throughout the globe. Such trauma is particularly acute in contexts where the public life of Christians is threatened and marginalized by the increasing influence of religious radicalism in the public sphere, notably in the Indonesian context of BuSTH alumna Rev. Dr. Septemmy Lakawa, professor of Jakarta Theological Seminary. Dr. Lakawa was a keynote speaker at the 2017 Asia Mission Conference in Yangon, Myanmar. In her speech on October 16th, she emphasized the role of dance in healing from the trauma experienced by Christians who are witnesses to acts of violence.
Latino Immigrant Ethnic Identity and Religious Affiliation in the US
As the percentage of the Latino population in the United States has grown dramatically over the previous decades, this growth has coincided with a diversification of religious adherence among Latinos. This has been most visible in growing pentecostal and evangelical expressions of Christianity. CGCM faculty associate Jonathan Calvillo recently presented his research on the impact of this diversification on Latino ethnic identity and ethnic community at the "International Colloquium on Latinos in the United States” held in Havana, Cuba, October 16th-18th.
Call for Papers: Christianity and the Public Sphere in Africa and Asia
Conference theme: Christianity and the Public Sphere in Africa and Asia
Conference date: From Sunday evening on 1 July to Tuesday noon on 3 July 2018
Conference venue: Hope Park Campus, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, L16 9JD, England
The conference will generate informed discussions of issues pertaining to African and Asian Christians and their public roles: How did or does Christianity function as salt and light in African or Asian societies? What does it mean to be responsible Christians in Africa or Asia? How did or can Christians in Africa and Asia claim the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their public spaces? How does the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ judge old loyalties and rearrange them in Africa and Asia? What are the characteristics of African or Asian Christians in their respective societies? What are the examples of African or African theologies that engage with the public sphere of their peoples? How do African or Asian Christians in diaspora situations either on their own continents or in, for example, European and American settings address the issues that matter to them and their children?
The organizers of this conference welcome 300-word proposals from academics and activists on any aspect of Christianity and its engagement with the public sphere in Africa and Asia. They request them to email their proposals along with their brief CV to Rev Dr Harvey Kwiyani (kwiyanh@hope.ac.uk) by 31 January 2018. By mid-February 2018, they will then notify those presenters whose proposals the Conference Committee has accepted and request them to send their papers by the end of May 2018 for a possible sharing with other participants and also an online publication.
Online registration for this conference will open in the first week of March 2018. All inclusive early bird conference reservation will be available for £230.00 from March to April 2018. This reservation includes accommodation in single en-suite room on the Hope Park campus from the afternoon of Sunday, 1 July 2018 till noon on Tuesday, 3 July 2018, all meals and the conference fee. All-inclusive registration in May and June 2018 will be available for £250.00. Accommodation in double rooms in available in limited numbers; it will be allotted on a first-come and first-served basis. For further details, please contact Dr. Kwiyani.