Prof. Philip L. Wickeri and Dr. Rowena Ruiwen Chen attended conference in Shandong University

 Supported by Archbishop Paul Kwong, Prof. Philip L. Wickeri and Dr. Rowena Ruiwen Chen of HKSKH Archives attended the conference of History of Christianity in China: A Sino-Western/Intercultural Approach held in Shandong University, Jinan on June 10, 2017.

In order to promote the research on the history of Christianity in China, Prof. Philip. L. Wickeri, together with Prof. Tao Feiya, Professor of History Department, Academic Director of Center for the Study of Religion and Chinese Society, Shanghai University, have been planning to write a book History of Christianity in China: A Sino-Western/Intercultural Approach. Shanghai University and Ming Hua Theological College are the institutional sponsors.

The Two editors (Prof. Wickeri and Prof. Tao) pointed out that this would be a first attempt at writing an intercultural history of Christianity in China, with collaboration between Chinese and Western scholars. The purpose of this project is to write a history of Christianity in China for the general reader and for masters’ level students, integrating Chinese and Western approaches that have emerged over the last three decades. It will introduce the subject from different perspectives and with the aim of developing a readable, accurate and inter-disciplinary study of the history of Christianity in China. Many younger scholars are being mentored in the process.

 Prof. Philip. L. Wickeri will write the chapter of “World Christianity and the History of Christianity in China” and Dr. Rowena Ruiwen Chen will write the Chapter of “The Arts and Chinese Christianity” for this book. The first conference for the book project was held in Shanghai University on June 10-11, 2016,co-organized by the Department of History and Center for the Study of Religion and Chinese Society, Shanghai University.

 17 Scholars from different universities and colleges in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan discussed the outlines for each chapter and various issues during Shandong conference. During the conference, Prof. Wickeri pointed out that the book will be a ground-breaking project in at least four senses: 1. It will be the first comprehensive history of Christianity in China done in many decades; 2. We are calling our approach “intercultural,” which is a more integrated approach; 3. This will be the first attempt in writing a history based on collaboration between Chinese and Western scholars; 4. The book will build on the important studies done on the history of Christianity in China over the last three decades. We intend to produce an English language text on the basis of the Chinese volume, to be published in Hong Kong or overseas. 

Prof. Tao Feiya emphasized that we have been investigating the encounters of religion and civilization from the perspective of the context of world history. In this way, Christianity in China has become Chinese Christianity. At the same time, how a religion with a western background can be transferred into the context of Chinese culture shows a kind of religious, cultural, social, and political relationship.

The Henry Luce Foundation has provided major funding for the project. Significant support has also come from the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia; the Amity Foundation; Shanghai University; and the Amity Foundation.