Call for Papers: IAMS Chinese Christianity Panel
In the past 35 years, Chinese Christianity has gone through a period of unprecedented growth. It has become a global phenomenon beyond Asia. Not only are large numbers of Chinese people in the Mainland, who make up 20% of the world’s population, turning to Christ, it is also happening among the world’s largest diaspora. Chinese immigrants in Oceania, North America, and Europe are becoming Christians at increasing rates. In the twenty-first century, Chinese Christianity is a global reality, and the highly mobile nature of Chinese Christians raises important missiological questions. How is Chinese Christianity crossing borders and boundaries in the name of Christ?
Research has surfaced on various aspects of Chinese Christianity. Important work has been done on mission history, the emergence of Chinese indigenous Christianity, Christianity and the state, the social and cultural impacts of Chinese Christianity, theologies of Chinese Christianity, Chinese Christian arts, and many others. Yet little has been conducted on Chinese missiology.
We hereby call for paper submissions for the thematic panel group on Chinese Christianity for the International Association for Mission Studies 2020: https://missionstudies.org/
Chinese Christianity has always been entangled with power in complex ways. From the first missionaries in the 7th century, who had to curry imperial favour for their message, to contemporary Chinese missionaries aiming to use the government’s ‘One Road, One Belt Initiative’ to move throughout Central Asia, Chinese mission has required regular negotiation with the state and other authorities. Migration and displacement, which involve asymmetrical negotiations over cultural and religious identities in a new country, also impact the way of Chinese mission and evangelism.
As a thematic panel on Chinese Christianity at IAMS, we invite papers on how mission has taken different configurations as it has related ‘Powers, Inequalities and Vulnerabilities: Mission in a Wounded World’, our panel will explore:
- How Chinese Christians live as witnesses to the Missio Dei in a wounded world, both historically and in contemporary settings
- Chinese Christian identity and the significance of it taking shape outside of Christendom, as well as Chinese identities that have taken shape within Christendom
- The Impact of European missions on Chinese: Wounds and Wonders
- Creative Theological Education: Escaping Western Captivity
- How Chinese Culture is being converted and not just individuals
- What is contextualization in a diaspora setting? Whose context? What mission?
- Multi-directional ways of mission: ‘cross-cultural mission’, ‘reverse mission’ and ‘return mission’
The hope is to provide a forum for scholarly exchange and encourage scholars in their own and/or collaborative work. A joint publication in the field of Chinese Christian mission under the banner of IAMS is possible. We hope to publish selected papers in a special edition of Mission Studies, 2022.
This panel is designed to attract:
- Chinese diaspora scholars
- Mainland Chinese practitioners and theorists
- Chinese missionaries working in the field.
- Missiologists around the world working in the area of Chinese Christianity and Mission
Xiaoli Yang (Rev. Dr.)
