Missionizing is widely perceived as a form of oppressive power-relations: one side is active

and hegemonic, while the other is either passive and submissive or entirely oppositional. This all-too-tidy understanding of the relationship between Christian missionaries and their religious others dovetails with the scholarly tendency to adopt a one-dimensional approach, focusing almost exclusively on Christian attitudes towards the objects of their missionary endeavours. Recent scholars of religion have begun to expose a more nuanced dynamic, revealing the impact of space and polycentricity on missionary Christianities and highlighting the role of missionary encounters in inter-cultural exchange, including, among other things, how missionizing affected knowledge transfer. The varied responses of the religious other in this relationship, beyond conversion, have yet to receive sufficient scholarly attention.

The conference is organised by Antje Flüchter (Bielefeld) and Rebekka Voß (Frankfurt a.M.). It is expected that scholarships for travel and accommodation costs for doctoral students and postdocs will be available. Those interested are cordially invited to contact Avraham Siluk (siluk@em.uni-frankfurt.de). Further information can be found here. You can find the programme here.