19-21 Nov 2020 – Zoom workshop “Mapping Christianity in China, 1550-1950: Relational and Geospatial Tools

INVITATION to ONLINE WEBINAR WORKSHOP

On November 19-21, 2020 (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday)  the Boston University Center for Global Christianity and Mission will convene a workshop on “Mapping Christianity in China, 1550-1950: Developing Relational and Geospatial Tools for the Study of Christianity in China.”

Here are some details to help you decide if you want to join and what to expect:

1. The China Historical Christian Database (CHCD) is exiting its proof-of-concept phase. We are convinced that mapping when and where every Christian church, school, hospital, monastery, orphanage, publishing house, and the like, were located in China will be a boon to scholarship. We have also discovered that by identifying the foreigners and Chinese who worked inside each Christian building, we can recreate quite elaborate social network maps. The CHCD is opening new ways to study Christianity and its place in modern China. If you have not done so already, look at the website. The short demo video summarizes what the CHCD can do in its proof-of-concept state.

1. The goal of this workshop is to think strategically about the future of the CHCD. What happens next? How can it best serve scholarly and general audiences? To answer these and other questions, we have assembled leaders from multiple fields.

1. The program is divided over three days. The first two days will have 90-minute parallel sessions. You can select which panel is most interesting to you, or you can move in and out of the two different Zoom rooms to catch particular talks that appeal to you. We will be in a webinar format, so your picture will not be visible. In other words, you will be able to come and go without disrupting others. We hope that gives you the freedom to listen to what is most important to you. The full schedule is downloadable HERE and also included in attachment, so you can begin to map out your priorities. Please note that all times are listed according to the time in Boston, US Eastern Standard Time. [EST 8:30 to 10:30 AM = Europe: + 5 or 6 hours; East Asia: + 13 or 14 hours]

1. At the end of the parallel sessions, everyone will reconvene for a plenary conversation. Rapporteurs, who will be embedded in each Zoom webinar, will briefly summarize what they heard and ask the first questions. We then hope to have a spirited time of reflection on the Digital Humanities and the possibilities of the China Historical Christian Database. You will have a Q&A box in Zoom in which you can send the moderator questions or comments. This is a great opportunity to participate.

1. The third day is designed to generate concrete suggestions. You will be invited to self-select a theme that interests you, and you will work in a small group to generate ideas and suggestions for how the CHCD can move forward. Because that day is collaborative, we will be meeting in the regular Zoom format, so you can see, speak, and text with others in the room. The proceedings will be RECORDED and eventually made available to those who will expressly request a link to watch them.

1. If you register, you will be sent a document that has all the Zoom links embedded in it. You will be able to use that to navigate the parallel, plenary, and small group sessions.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. Clarity will only enhance our time. You can reach the CHCD team members at cgcm@bu.edu

Sincerely,

CHCD Principal Investigators

Daryl IRELAND (Boston University)

LIU Xian (Renmin University)

Alex MAYFIELD (Boston University)

Eugenio MENEGON (Boston University)