Discussions on the rise of Global China, through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and beyond, have focused on physical infrastructures, financial investments, commerce, and geopolitics. What about the religious dimension of China’s deepening entanglements with the world? Religion is central to the culture and national identity of most BRI and adjacent countries, and, often, their political system and ideology as well. These religions include Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, among others. What are the religious implications and consequences of these circulations and frictions? The growing presence of China in countries of the Global South may increase the importance of China in the imagination, strategies, or missionizing goals of religious organizations, movements, political parties and ideologies in those countries. These imaginations, strategies and identity formations may be inflected by a resurfacing of historical imaginations and networks. At the same time, growing links offer opportunities for the international expansion of Chinese religious and spiritual networks and organizations. This increased circulation may impact on China’s religious ecology and complicate China’s internal religious policy as well as its management of religious exchanges in the service of diplomacy and soft power.

This international conference, composed of 3 sessions, will bring together scholars working on different regions and disciplines, to map out the contours of the religious dimensions and implications of Global China, through discussion of empirical studies and testing of different analytical frameworks.

PROGRAM AT-A-GLANCE

ORGANIZER

Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (HKIHSS), The University of Hong Kong

CO-ORGANIZERS

Asia Research Institute (ARI), National University of Singapore;
Center for Global Asia, NYU Shanghai

CONVENOR

Prof. David A. Palmer (Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong)

CO-CONVENORS

Prof. Tansen Sen (Center on Global Asia, NYU Shanghai)
Dr Michel Chambon (Initiative for the Study of Asian Catholics, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore)
Dr Emily Hertzman (Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore)

For more information about the conference program, please visit the website here: https://asiar.hku.hk/event/global-china-in-a-religious-world/