Interdisciplinary symposium *Pentecostal Charismatic Christianity and Migration*.

Date: 2-3 of August, 2019

Venue: Parramatta City Campus, Western Sydney University

169 Macquarie St, Parramatta, NSW, Australia

Abstracts due: 10 of April 2019 (title, 250-word abstract, short bio)

Submit to: Dr Kathleen Openshaw k.openshaw@westernsydney.edu.au

Keynote Speaker: Associate Prof Richard Vokes (University of Western Australia)

Symposium Conveners:

Prof Cristina Rocha, Religion and Society Research Cluster, WSU

Prof Mark Hutchinson, Alphacrucis College

Dr Kathleen Openshaw, Religion and Society Research Cluster, WSU

Mrs Ingrid Ryan, Alphacrucis College

Symposium Theme

Over the past few decades, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity (PCC) has exploded in the Global South and grown considerably in the Global North. Much of this grow this fuelled by networks of megachurches, the mobility of community leaders across diasporic networks, migration and media. While traditionally missionaries would travel in a North-to- South direction, more recently megachurches from the Global South have moved horizontally, across to other developing countries, and also made inroads in to the Global North in efforts of reverse missionisation. Such attempts to missionise to locals in the Global North have been largely (though not wholly) unsuccessful and churches have turned their focus to migrants from the Global South. Many studies have shown that migrants, who were not attached to PCCs before migration, join churches in the diaspora as they offer them a home away from home. Meanwhile, diasporic churches also face difficulties keeping these (as well as second generation) migrants, since they may prefer local churches in an effort to integrate. In this symposium we probe these themes and are seeking papers on the following topics:

  • Historical developments
  • Missionary activities and migration
  • Translocal and transnational PCC networks
  • Translocal and transnational families and PCC
  • Young migrants and PCC
  • Second generation migrants and PCC
  • Gender, PCC and migration
  • City infrastructures and diasporic churches
  • Theological themes and migration
  • Cultural translation, negotiation, adaptation of migrant churches
  • PCC, media, music, information communication Technologies and migration
  • Material culture and migrants’ lived experiences in PCC churches
  • Aesthetics and embodied practices
  • Immobility, borders and PCC

Cristina

Professor Cristina Rocha

Director of Religion and Society Research Cluster

Western Sydney University

President: Australian Association for the Study of Religion