"Envisioning Postcolonial Theologies to Decolonize the Body of Christ"

United Theological College, Bangalore, India, 21-23 January 2010

Conference Host:  David Joy (davidjoy29@yahoo.co.in)

Participant Institutions:

United Theological College in Bangalore, India, The Society of Biblical Studies in India and the Lincoln Theological Institute at the University of Manchester in England are collaboratively working together to present this conference with papers to be published later as an edited collection in book form.

Note that this conference seeks to facilitate discussion between postcolonial theologians and postcolonial theorists as represented by our diversity of speakers.

As of this date our conference speakers include: 

• Jose Abraham  An Islamic Understanding of Postcolonial Theory  Lecturer in Religion and Culture at United Theological College, Bangalore, India
• Ashish Alexander - "Paradise Decolonized: Why Anti-Colonialism Alone Will Not Do" - Punjab
• Marina Behra  Imperialism and The Role of Missionaries  Lecturer in History of Christianity at United Theological College, Bangalore, India
• Saugata Bhaduri  Interface Between Contemporary Social Theory and Religion  Centre for Linguistic and English Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, author of Translating Power: Repression, Hegemony, Resistance (2004)
• Mark Brett  Diaspora and Kenosis as Postcolonial Themes - Professor of Old Testament, Whitley College at the Melbourne College of Divinity; in Melbourne, Australia and author, Decolonizing God (2008)
• Jacob Devadason - "Theoretical Analysis of Dalit Theology: A Postcolonial View" - Diocese of Manchester, UK
• Joseph Duggan - "Colonial Totality - Postcolonial Unities" - University of Manchester, UK
• John Franke  Liberating Christian Theology: Jesus Christ, Postcolonial Discourse and The Plurality of Truth - Lester and Kay Clemens Professor of Missional Theology at Biblical Seminary, co-author with the late Stanley Grenz, of Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology In A Postmodern Context (2001)
• P.T. George  A Positive Reconstruction of Missionary Engagements During The British Rule in India  Associate Professor at United Theological College, Bangalore, India
• Rohan Gideon - "Children At Risk (CaR) In The Body of Christ: A Postcolonial Childist Appraisal of Liberation Theology" - TTS, Madurai
• Gareth Griffiths  Collecting and Presenting Neglected Pasts  Founding Director of the British Museum of Empire and Commonwealth, Bristol, England  the first museum of the colonial past in Britain
• Whitney Howarth - "Advocates and Arbiters: The Role of Missionaries in Public Petitions and Social Justice Causes in the Hindu Kingdoms of Travencore and Mysore, India (1806-1906)" - University of Plymouth, USA
• Steve Hu - "Decentering the Body: Posturing the Church Upon Lesslie Newbigin's Self-Reflexivity" - Biblical Theological Seminary
• Jeyachitra Lalitha - "Decolonizing Marital Gender Norms in The Ephesian Haustafel" - TTS, Madurai
• Anne Joh  Postcolonial Christology: Decolonizing The Body - Associate Professor-Elect of Theology (begins July 2009) at Garrett Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois, currently at Phillips Seminary, Tulsa, Oklahoma, author, Heart of The Cross: A Postcolonial Christology (2006)
• C.I. David Joy  Hermeneutics, Culture and Postcolonialism: An India Reconstruction - Associate Professor of New Testament at United Theological College, Bangalore, India and 2008 author of Mark and Its Subalterns: A Hermeneutical Paradigm for a Postcolonial Context
• Mabiala Kenzo  A Colony of Heaven: The Bible In The Postcolonial Imaginary of Self As Community - Professor of Systematic Theology, Ambrose University, Calgary; Author, Religion, Hybridity, and the Construction of Reality in Postcolonial Africa (2004)
• Ashutosh Kumar  Revisiting Postcolonial State and Theory  Professor of Political Science Punjab University, author of Globalisation and Politics of Identity (2008)
• Royce Manoj Kumar  Judaism and Postcolonial Understanding  Lecturer in Old Testament, KUTS, Trivandum
• Chapman Lai  Dalit Literature and Postcolonial Analysis  Center of Indian Languages, author of 30 books including Political Theory and Poetry
• Simi Malhotra  Postmodernity, Postcoloniality, Globalization and Religious Cultures  Jamia Millia University, author of Popular Culture Studies and Religion
• Judith Oleson - "Decolonizing the Body of Christ through Gender Equality in Theological Discourse and Church Leadership" - Gordon College, USA
• A.D.S. Pillai - "imprints of Christian Ideologies in Postcolonial India" - Trichy
• Brainerd Prince - "Colonial Totality - Postcolonial Unities" - Oxford Center for Mission Studies
• Peniel Rufus  Postcolonialism and Dalit Interpretation  Lecturer in Christian Ethics at United Theological College in Bangalore, India
• R. Sahayadas - "A Postcolonial Analysis of Hindutua Ideology" - Lecturer, Theology, UTC
• N. Sam - "Missionary Literature in Malayam and its colonial frames" - Director, International Center for Kerala Studies
• Simon Samuel  Oral Tradition and Postcolonial Theory  Professor of New Testament at Luther W. New Jr. Theological College, Dehraron
• Laurel Schneider  Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: Envisioning Bodies of Christ Beyond Colonial Logic"  Associate Professor of Theology, Ethics, and Culture at Chicago Theological Seminary, author of Beyond Monotheism: A Theology of Multiplicity (2008)
• Kiran Sebastian  Decolonizing The Body of The Martyr: The Early Church in The Shadow of Empire  Anderson Professor of Mission and Culture, The Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia
• Ammel Sharon - "The Roman Catholic Citizen and the Amendment to The Divorce Act, 1869: Feminist Debates on Secularism" - Mumbai
• Jeanne Choy Tate - "Studying the Bible Across Cultures: Towards An Intellectual Hermeneutic" - USA

Registration open - very reasonable accommodations/catering available and registration fee.

Walkabout Bangalore and region from postcolonial perspective after meeting closes.