The practice of religious conversion in the 21st century has revived academic interest in the subject. Most theories and frameworks for understanding religious conversion are still based on outdated models. Recent studies have focused primarily on converts’ testimonies, which is a valuable starting point for contextualizing religious conversion. However, much of this research has concentrated on individuals and their past religious worldviews. There is a significant gap in understanding the contextualization of religious conversion in relation to culture, theology, community, and other factors. In September, OCMS will address this gap through its MBL lecture series, focusing on the contextualization of religious conversion in the majority world. Full Programme Details here
Previous Lectures
Overview In 2018, Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, was arrested and sentenced to nine years of criminal detention: Learn about Wang Yi’s understanding of the role of suffering – “the way of the cross” – in the church-state question, as well as his understanding of the eschatological city and kingdom of God: Wang Yi’s theology draws upon both the legacy of the traditional house churches and his extensive reading of Reformed theology, and is relevant for all Christians seeking to understand being a faithful presence in society:
Speaker Hannah Nation
About the speaker Hannah Nation serves as managing director of the Center for House Church Theology. She is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is currently a doctoral student in World Christianity at the University of Edinburgh.
Overview On this special 35th anniversary, this lecture argues that the 1989 Democracy Movement and the Tiananmen Square Massacre triggered the Chinese Great Awakening. Thenceforward, Christianity has been the fastest-growing religion in China because it has become culturally indigenized, socially contextualized, and politically engaged, making it the most appealing religion for the Chinese in pursuit of modernity in the globalizing world.
Speaker Dr. Fenggang Yang
About the speaker Dr. Fenggang Yang is a Professor of Sociology and the founding Director of the Center on Religion and the Global East at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. He is working on a book, The Rise of Christianity in Modernizing China (Oxford University Press).
Overview This is the second of two lectures with the theme: "The Gospel and the Common Good: Bearing Witness in Public Life and the Public Square." Both explore the connection between the Gospel and communal welfare, emphasising the role of theology in contemporary societal issues. The first lecture is: Theology as Narrative Discourse: Reframing our Understanding of the Gospel addresses how modern Christianity's overlook of the common good can be attributed to theological methodologies that misinterpret the biblical narrative. This one continues to explore and build upon the themes introduced in the first lecture, offering deeper insights into how the Gospel influences public life and the common good.
Speaker Dr. David Zac Niringiye
About the speaker Dr. David Zac Niringiye holds a PhD in Theology and Mission History from the University of Edinburgh (UK), an MA in Theology from Wheaton College (USA), as well as a Physics Honours degree and Teaching Diploma from Makerere University in Uganda. He is a leader with national and international acclaim and has experience as a church leader, theologian, peace and social justice activist and an organizational development consultant. Bishop Zac who previously served as Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Kampala, is now engaged in full-time civic-political activism in his native country of Uganda.
Behind the Cloud – The Ethics of AI
Overview The giant global computer companies increasingly control our personal, social and political behaviour. Their recent breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence have been hailed by technophiles as a step closer to human intelligence and the prospect of freedom from our current limitations. Technophobes fear that the same developments will eventually outsmart and even turn against the human species. This lecture will avoid both the “hype” and the “fear-mongering” and instead draw attention to the material and human aspects of AI, its underlying assumptions and worldview, and highlight real ethical concerns that are rarely discussed in the public realm.
Speaker Vinoth Ramachandra
About the speaker Vinoth lives in Sri Lanka. He served with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in various leadership roles for over four decades. He has encouraged Christian students and professors develop a holistic, dialogical engagement with the world of the university; and has written several essays and books addressing social and political challenges Christians face in various national contexts.
Overview This is the first of two lectures with the theme: "The Gospel and the Common Good: Bearing Witness in Public Life and the Public Square." Both explore the connection between the Gospel and communal welfare, emphasising the role of theology in contemporary societal issues. Lecture 2 will be on 21 May. The first lecture is: Theology as Narrative Discourse: Reframing our Understanding of the Gospel addresses how modern Christianity's overlook of the common good can be attributed to theological methodologies that misinterpret the biblical narrative.
Speaker Dr. Zac Niringiye
Lecture Series Theology
About the speaker Dr. DAVID ZAC NIRINGIYE holds a PhD in Theology and Mission History from the University of Edinburgh, UK an MA in Theology from Wheaton College, USA as well as a Physics Honours degree and Teaching Diploma from Makerere University, Uganda. He is a leader with national and international acclaim and has experience as a church leader, theologian, peace and social justice activist and an organizational development consultant. Bishop Zac who previously served as Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Kampala, is now engaged in full-time civic-political activism in his native country of Uganda. Publications
