Despite the ongoing global expansion of Christianity, there remains a lack of comprehensive scholarship on its development in Asia. This volume fills the gap by exploring the world of Asian Christianity and its manifold expressions, including worship, theology, spirituality, inter-religious relations, interventions in society, and mission. The contributors, from over twenty countries, deconstruct many of the widespread misconceptions and interpretations of Christianity in Asia. They analyze how the growth of Christian beliefs throughout the continent is linked with the socio-political and cultural processes of colonization, decolonization, modernization, democratization, identity construction of social groups, and various social movements. With a particular focus on inter-religious encounters and emerging theological and spiritual paradigms, the volume provides alternative frames for understanding the phenomenon of conversion and studies how the scriptures of other religious traditions are used in the practice of Christianity within Asia.
Felix Wilfred is Emeritus Professor at the State University of Madras, and the Founder and Director of the Asian Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies. He was appointed the first professor to the newly endowed Chair of Indian Studies established at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). He was also a member of the International Theological Commission, as well as Joseph visiting Professor at Boston College in 2001 and 2003.
Members of the Editorial Board and Contributors
General introduction
Part I: Mapping of Asian Christianity
1. Christianity in West Asia
H. Teule
2. South Asian Christianity in Context
Felix Wilfred
3. Christian Minorities on the Central Asian Silk Roads
Sebastien Peyrouse
4. On the Trail of Spices: Christianity in Southeast Asia
Georg Evers
5. Identity and Marginality – Christianity in East Asia
Edmond Tang
Part II: Cross Cultural Flows and Pan-Asian Movements of Asian Christianity
6. Asian Theological Trends
Michael Amaladoss
7. Scriptural Translations and Cross-textual Hermeneutics
Archie C. C. Lee
8. The Contributions of the Asian Ecumenical Movements to World Ecumenism
Aruna Gnanadason
9. Inter-Asia Mission and Global Missionary Movements from Asia
Sebastian Kim
10. Pentecostalism and Charismatic Movements in Asia
Allan Anderson
11. Forms of Asian Indigenous Christianities
Paul Joshua
12. Gender, Sexuality, and Christian Feminist Movements
Sharon A. Bong
Part III: Asian Christianities and the Social-Cultural Processes
13. Modernity and Change of Values: Asian Christian Negotiations and Resistance
Angela Wai Ching Wong
14. Caveats to Christianization: Colonialism, Nationalism and Christian
Julius Bautista
15. Socio-Political developments in the Middle-East and Their Impact on Christian
Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid
16. Asian Christianity and Politics of Conversion
Rudi Heredia
17. Political Democratization and Asian Churches: The Case of Taiwan
Po Ho Huang
18. The Role of Christianity in Peace and Conflict in Asia
Liyanage Anthony Jude Lal Fernando
19. Christianity and the cause of Asian Women
Gemma Cruz
20. Education in Asia
Lun-Li
21. Christian Social Engagement in Asia
Felix Wilfred
Part IV: Asian Christianity in its Interaction with Asian Religious Traditions
22. Changing Paradigms of Asian Christian Attitude to Other Religions
Wesley Ariarajah
23. Jewish – Christian relationships in the West Asia – History, Major Issues, Challenges
David M. Neuhaus
24. Muslim Perceptions of Asian Christianity: A survey
Ataullah Siddiqui
25. The Multiverse of Hindu Engagement with Christianity
Ananta K. Giri
26. Christian Tradition in the Eyes of Asian Buddhists: The Case of Japan
Dennis Hirota
27. Encounter between Confucianism and Christianity
Jonatha Tan
28. Asian Christianity and Religious Conversion: Issues and Debates
Richard Fox Young
29. Asian Christian Art and Architecture
Gudrun Löwner
Part V: Some Future Trajectories of Asian Christianity
30. Christians in Asia Read Sacred Books of the East
George Gispert-Sauch
31. Multiple Religious Belonging or Complex Identity – An Asian Way
Bagus Laksana
32. Asian Christian Spirituality
Peter Phan C.
33. Asian Christian Forms of Worship and Music
Swee Hong
34. Revisiting Historiographies: New Directions
Daniel Pilario
35. Asian Christianity and Public Life -The Interplay
Felix Wilfred
36. Migration and New Cosmopolitanism in Asian Christianity
Mario Francisco
37. Western Christianity in the Light of Christianity in Asia: A Western Christian’s Reflection
Francis Clooney
Statistics Tables
Bibliography
Index
“A rich resource book with a strong ecumenical, intercultural, and interreligious approach…It has to be noted that all contributions are well researched, thought provoking, and that they enable the interested readers to deepen and enlarge their understanding of Asian Christianity…The handbook is a necessary tool of learning for students far beyond Christian circles.”
East Asian Pastoral Review
“The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia, edited by one of Asia’s outstanding scholars and thinkers, Felix Wilfred, will therefore be received with much enthusiasm by those dealing with these fields of study and by anyone who wishes to have an informed understanding of Christianity in Asia… [W]hat we have here is a well thought out volume that would be an invaluable text for those who wish to explore not only Christianity in Asia but the trajectories of World Christianity in our day.”
Ecumenical Review
“Felix Wilfred has done us a great service by editing this comprehensive book about Christianity in Asia… Over four years, Dr. Wilfred and his international editorial board brought together 35 of the best scholars in the world to write special essays for this book on a vast array of themes from a variety of disciplines… Dr. Wilfred’s thematic and inter-disciplinary approach to collecting these essays on Christianity in Asia is refreshing.”
United Board’s HORIZONS Newsletter
“All the contributions are all well researched, thought-provoking and enable the interested reader to deepen and enlarge his/her understanding of Asian Christianity. The handbook is as such a necessary tool of learning for students far beyond Christian circles. Any well-organised university library will make this handbook available in their reference section.”
Mission Studies
Named by the International Bulletin of Missionary Studies as an Outstanding Book of 2014 for Mission Studies
