CFP: Churches in Global Chinese Communities: Chinese Ecclesiology in the Making

The dramatic growth and expansion of Christianity among Chinese communities represents a significant development in world Christianity. Given that over 50 million people of Chinese origin live outside mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong*, Chinese churches have now spread across the globe. The global phenomenon of Chinese Christianity has brought into existence vibrant Chinese Christian communities in Greater China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania, North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. This global dispersal has diversified Chinese Christianity to such an extent that it is no longer tenable to view the Chinese church as a single, homeland-centred entity. Both rapid migration and the widespread deployment of digital technology have given rise to a global network of Chinese churches, spanning many cultures and nations. As such, understanding Chinese ecclesiology requires close attention to how theological refection emerges from the lived experiences, cultural contexts, and historical trajectories of Chinese Christian communities, which in turn lead to distinctive theological formulations, ecclesiastical structures, and ecclesial practices.

The global expansion of Chinese churches has generated pressing and profound theological questions about denominations, the nature and mission of the church, Chinese identity, cultural contextualisation, ecclesial practices, spirituality, transnational migration, and engagement with local public affairs. The conference is intended to foster international and interdisciplinary dialogue on the current debates and challenges in how Chinese churches relate to this global configuration of Chinese Christianities. In this way, the conference seeks to enrich our understanding of how ‘church’ is conceived among Chinese Christian communities worldwide and how Chinese ecclesiological insights might contribute to the wider study of ecclesiology and World Christianity.

We invite paper proposals that explore the conference theme from diverse perspectives. Short-paper presentations are limited to 20 minutes maximum (timed), followed by 10-minute Q&A. Suggested topics and research questions include, but are not limited to:

• Contextual articulation of ecclesiology: How is the doctrine of ekklesia articulated and shaped by Chinese cultural, communal, and linguistic factors across various contexts?
• Spirituality and ecclesiology: How is Chinese Christian spirituality—such as devotional habits, charismatic expressions, and indigenous spiritual practices—formative of Chinese ecclesiological discourse?
• Identity, Chinese Christian communities, and churches: To what extent—if at all—does Chinese identity undergird or undermine the emergence of Chinese ecclesial forms, given the ecclesiological implications of migration and diaspora for churches?
• Chinese denominations: What is the denominational status quo of Chinese churches, and in what ways do transnational encounters between Chinese churches reconfigure denominational identities for Chinese Christianities?
• Ecclesiology in Chinese and wider contexts: How might Chinese ecclesiological insights enrich ecumenical conversations about the nature of the church?
• The church’s role in society: In what ways are Chinese Christian communities addressing social, ethical, and cultural challenges, and what does this engagement reveal about their understanding of the role that the church has to play in society?
• Ecclesiology in relation to the history of Chinese Christianities: How do different historical narratives about Chinese Christianities inform contemporary Chinese ecclesiology, and what ecclesiological heritage can Chinese churches retrieve and develop?
• Christian literature and Chinese ecclesial forms: What role does Christian literature play in shaping how Chinese Christians articulate ecclesiology?
• Church polity and liturgy: To what extent do church polity and liturgical practices in Chinese churches reflect the indigenous, contextual, and broader cultural dynamics?

* Statistical yearbook of the Overseas Community Affairs Council, Overseas Community Affairs Council of R.O.C, accessed by 3 November 2025, https://www.ocac.gov.tw/OCAC/File/Attach/313/File_547498.pdf.

Registration fees: £75 per participant

• Includes: lunch, dinner (including a conference dinner), refreshments and access to all activities.
• The registration fee is waived for accepted short-paper presenters.
• Registration will open in due course.

Cancellation Policy:

• Cancellation received on or before 30 June 2026: 80% refund (£60)
• After 30 June 2026: no refunds
• Registrations may be transferred to another delegate by written request

Accommodation can be booked directly with Selwyn College using the link https://www.sel.cam.ac.uk/conferences/accommodation-booking. The rates start at £69.50+VAT for bed & breakfast.