TTEAKH034U Kirke- og Teologihistorie: KH-specialisering: Christian Missions and Cultural Encounters Since 1600

Course description: The course focuses on the cultural encounters which grew out of Christian missionary work from 1600 till today. The course is placed at the interface of church history, mission history, and cultural and intellectual history. The theme will be approached through selected cases representing different periods of time and different geographical locations: Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia. The types of cultural encounters in the course will include: mutual perceptions between missionaries and local populations; indigenous appropriations of Christianity; local influences on missionary practices; Christian mission and colonization; Christian missionary situations as sites of the creation of new cross-cultural knowledge; Christian missionaries as cross-cultural agents; Christian missionaries as development agents.

Teaching aims:

• To provide the participants with a basic knowledge and understanding of main patterns in the history of Christian mission and its significance in global cultural encounters since 1600.
• Through selected case studies to provide the participants with skills in critical reading of historical texts and of academic literature on Christian missions and cultural encounters.
• To train the participants in methods of searching for relevant literature for their chosen subjects.
• To train the participants in academic writing.

Teaching methods: The course will primarily be based on the reading and discussion of selected text material, combined with lectures.

Student preparation: The course comprises two hours a week and will require six hours of preparation, involving a close reading of the texts for each class. Students may also occasionally be asked to open the discussion of particular texts.

Teaching material: Teaching material will consists of historical texts by Western missionaries and by Christians in Africa, Latin America, the Carribbean and Asia. This will be supplemented by books and articles. All material will be made available at Absalon.