Establishment
of Asian Academy of Christian Studies and
Launching
of International Journal of Asian Christian Studies
International Consultation
Asian Centre for
Cross-Cultural Studies, Chennai
27 & 28
November, 2015
Rationale
& Back Ground
The publication of The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia is now acclaimed
internationally for its high academic quality and original perspectives. Over
40 scholars of international stature were part of this project and contributed
to shape the Handbook. The Handbook is viewed as an important source and instrument
for a critical study of Christianity in Asia and its public engagement with
society, culture, education, politics, history, etc.
An international conference (5-7 November,
2014) closely following at the heels of the publication of the Handbook brought
together contributing authors, other scholars, faculty and research students
here in Chennai for two days for a very engaged discussion. The conference led
to the realization of a distinct Asian identity of Christianity with
implications in the fields of public life, education, interreligious
relationships, etc. The intense conversations led to the formulations of two
proposals with reference to the future engagement of Christianity in the field
of public life, education, interreligious understanding etc.
A proposal emerged from the conference of
constituting an Asian Academy of
Christian Studies which will help to bring together scholars across the
globe studying and researching in the field of Christianity in its multiple
encounters with the Asian societies. The creation of such an international body
will help to promote cutting edge researches by Asian scholars. It will be open
also to scholars from other parts of the world. The academy as a permanent body
will further facilitate interaction among scholars on Asian Christianity.
Objectives
of the Academy
- To
study and research on Christianity as an integral part of Asian history
and tradition.
- To
promote a forum for Asian Christian Intelligentsia to dialogue with the
larger society and critically reflect on its social, political, economic
and cultural situation.
- To
provide an interdisciplinary basis for Christian social engagement.
- To
facilitate the meeting and interaction among Asian Christian intellectuals
and channel their human resources towards transformation of society.
- To
promote inter-religious understanding and religious freedom in dialogue
with peoples of other faiths.
A second proposal that followed was the
creation of an International Journal of
Asian Christian Studies with an Editorial Board, consisting of outstanding
scholars from Asia, Europe, USA, etc.
Objectives
of the Journal
·
To study Christianity
as a part of the socio-cultural processes of Asian people
·
To relate Christianity
with current socio-cultural issues of different regions of Asia from an
interdisciplinary perspective.
·
To study and research
on Christianity with reference to the life context of marginalized peoples,
minorities, ethnicities, etc.
·
To study and research
the interaction of Christianity in the public sphere.
·
To explore various
forms of Asian indigenous Christianities and their expressions from an
interdisciplinary perspective.
·
To promote
interreligious understanding and religious freedom through enlightening
researches and reflections.
Impact
of the Academy and the Journal
Issues of Christian mission, social engagement,
education, culture, etc. are situated in a definite context with many
interacting forces and factors. Christianity finds itself in Asia at the
intersection of these forces and factors which also create its unique contours
in the Asian continent. The Academy and journal will have impact on the way
Christianity encounters the Asian reality and interacts with it. The studies
and researches the Academy will promote and the journal will publish will lead
to an enlightened understanding of the interface between Asia and Christianity
in today’s circumstances, particularly in the field of social transformation.
They will help to see and practice in a new light Christian mission, pastoral
ministry, inter-religious relationships, social and educational engagement.
Editorial
Board
There will be an Editorial Board of scholars drawn from Asia and other
parts of the world. And there will be also an International Advisory Board.
Periodicity
The Journal will start as biannual. After a
period of five years, it will be turned into a quarterly.
Publication
& Marketing
To be able to reach out as widely as possible,
the journal will tie-up with a well known international publisher who will
promote and market it in Asia as well as in other continents.
Administration
& Organization
The proposed Academy of International Journal of Asian Christian
Studies will have its centre of operation at the Asian Centre for
Cross-Cultural Studies (ACCS). A secretariat will be set up which will
coordinate the work of editors, publishers and contributors. ACCS has
experience in this matter. It houses also the secretariat of 50 year old
international journal Concilium which
is published in six European language editions and five times a year. The
expertise of the Asian Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies will be channelized to
organizing and coordinating work of International Journal of Asian Christian
Studies.
Stages
Leading to the Realization of the Project
- An
initial exploratory consultation will discuss the nature of the academy,
its scope, membership, structure, functioning etc. It will also discuss
the orientation to be adopted by the proposed journal and chalk out the
guiding principles, nature, scope, readership. It will also explore
possible publishing houses with whom the journal can tie-up for
publication and marketing. The consultation will pool the names of scholars
who could serve on the advisory board of the journal. It will also suggest
a larger pool of names for membership in the academy and criteria to be
part of it.
- Convocation
of the first editorial board meeting. The editorial board will go deeper
into the deliberations of the consultation and fine tune the orientation
of the journal, its nature and scope. It will lay down the editorial
policy and other technicalities for publication and distribution. The
Academy and the journal will work in tandem.
- The
constitution of the Academy and selection of international office-bearers.
- Publication
of the first issue of the journal. March 2017.
Prof.
Dr. Felix Wilfred
Founder-Director
Asian
Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies
Chennai,
India
Operational Structure of the JOURNAL
Chief Editor
·
Felix Wilfred
Associate Editors
·
Herman Teule (West
Asia)
·
Sebastien Peyrouse
(Central Asia)
·
Wesley Ariarajah (South
Asia)
·
Jose Mario Francisco
(South-East Asia)
·
Huang, Po-Ho (East
Asia)
·
Wong, Angela Wai Ching **
Members of the Editorial Board
1. Annie
Kunnath
2. Anri
Morimoto
3. Archie
Lee
4. Ataullah Siddiqui
5. Dieter
Becker
6. Edmund
Chia
7. Edward
Xu
8. Edmond
Tang
9. Francis
X. Clooney
10. Georg
Evers
11. Glenn
Shive
12. Gnana
Patrick
13. John
Clammer
14. John
Prior
15. Jonathan
Y. Tan
16. Jude
Lal Fernando
17. Julius
Bautista
18. Marshal
Fernando
19. Michael
Amaladoss
20. Paul
Hwang
21. Peter
Phan
22. Xing
Ping
** We need to add a few women scholars. Could you
kindly propose a few names?
Advisory
Board
David Suh
D. Preman Niles
Catelino Arevado
Philip L. Wickeri
Lee, Wing-On
Pushpa Joseph
(Could think of
more people)
Institutional Members
Irish
School of Economics - Jude Lal Fernando is exploring
Department
of Christian Studies, University of Madras - confirmed
Ateneo
de Manila University – Mario Francisco – could you confirm?
United
Board for Christian Higher Education - Glenn – to be contacted
Woori
Theological Institute (WTI), Korea – could be approached
Central
Asia – Sebastien – Could you think of some institutions?
Middle
East – Herman – Could you think of some institutions?
Vidyjyoti
Theological College, India – could be included.........
More
institutions are in the pipeline ....
** I have added the name of Dr. Wong, wia ching Angela from the Chinese University of Hong Kong,
since there is no woman representative.
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