International Conference 2017

Postcolonialism and Theology of Mission

Time: 29.–31. March 2017
Location: Phil.-Theol. Hochschule Sankt Georgen, Frankfurt am Main

Since the publication of Edward Said’s studies on western “Orientalism” (1978) the dispute about history, structures and consequences of European colonialism has become a key issue also within the “western” academy. During the last decades “Postcolonial studies” have established themselves as academic discipline in various countries. After the turn of the millennium first monographs of a “postcolonial theology” have been published. The reception of “postcolonial” thinking within German catholic theology, however, is still not very remarkable.

The upcoming conference wants to provide a critical introduction to history, current approaches as well as essential concepts of postcolonial theories and analyse the theological and missiological relevance of postcolonial discourses. During the conference we will examine the entanglement of (theological) knowledge and power, the challenge of creating a new understanding of mission regarding the conditions of a postcolonial context as well as the consequences, which arise from taking colonial and neo-colonial experiences seriously into account for pastoral services as well as Church development cooperation around the world.

The perspective of explicitly “post-colonial” approaches will be combined with perspectives which also reflect on post- and neo-colonial contexts, however without referring to “postcolonial theories” in a narrow sense. In this way the plurality of contexts and theoretical frameworks that shape theological confrontations with the postcolonial situation shall be made visible and brought into fruitful dialogue.

Speakers

Interviews

Conference Program