Chinese Christianities: Assignment for the 2020s

At the end of 2019, the AAR Chinese Christianities Seminar had concluded its fifth and final year under the “seminar” status. We needed to therefore submit a proposal if we wanted to continue in the future as a “unit.” We were successful (yay!), and the Chinese Christianities Unit now has a 2020 CfP. (You can follow us on Facebook too!) In the process of writing our proposal, we had to make an intellectual argument as to why such a group was needed. Here is an excerpt of that text, jointly produced by our steering group.

AAR 2020: Chinese Christianities Unit – Call for Papers

American Academy of Religion, 2020 Meeting
Chinese Christianities Unit
Deadline for proposals: 2 March 2020

Half a century ago, John Fairbank offered an “Assignment for the ‘70s,” arguing for scholars to take into consideration the encounter between American missionaries and Chinese Christians. Mindful of the growth in the academic field of Chinese Christianities, especially the rapid production of new studies in the last decade, this inaugural year of the Chinese Christianities Unit offers us a new challenge—an “Assignment for the 2020s,” which suggests the need to slow down and reconsider the field of Chinese Christianities, from multiple disciplinary, confessional, and regional perspectives. We welcome papers in the following or related areas:

Generational Legacies: The Family in Chinese Christianity – Call for Papers

May 3-4, 2020 (arrive May 2, depart May 5)
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

This conference seeks to examine Chinese Christianity through the lens of the family. Chinese culture has a strong emphases on the family and expressions of Christianity in China are often family-centered. Therefore, understanding the role of the family in Chinese Christianity is critical for understanding Chinese Christianity.

The Center on Religion and Chinese Society at Purdue University invites presentation proposals that look at various aspects of the family in Chinese Christianity. Topics may include:

AAR 2019: Chinese Christianities Seminar

At the 2019 meeting of the American Academy of Religion in San Diego later in November, we will have our fifth year running of the Chinese Christianities Seminar. This year, we are glad to have two sessions around a theme which explores the broader conceptualization of the Chinese Christianities field, itself. The first session on Saturday evening will question whether it is beneficial to explore beyond a myopic study of Chinese Christianities, whereas the second session on Sunday afternoon will question of exceptionalism in Chinese Christianities. Both promise to offer a lively discussion for the Chinese Christianities field. This can be found in the online program, but I have also posted program details and abstracts here:

IAMS Thematic Panel Group on Chinese Christianity — Call for Papers

 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/index.php/iams-assembly-2020/.