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Studying Pentecostalism in a Transcultural Perspective: Workshop

The University of Heidelberg is hosting a workshop on the dynamics of global Pentecostalism, April 3-5, 2014. The workshop is sponsored by a Junior Research Group on Pentecostalism of the Asia and Europe in a Global Context research cluster. 
I will be attending and presenting at the workshop and posting here later.

Workshop Description

Pentecostalism, one of the many faces of contemporary Christianity, is frequently referred to as a “global phenomenon.” Shaped by globalization processes, but also a major contributor to and integral part of broader global transformations, Pentecostal forms of Christianity have shown a remarkable ability to transgress boundaries and adapt to any new cultural contexts. As such, Pentecostalism acts both, as a homogenizing force that transcends locality and as a transformative power of indigenous appropriation and differentiation. The fundamental heterogeneity of the transnational Pentecostal network is conducive for its flexibility to react on and accommodate to the enormous upheavals and changes in a globalized world. As a global phenomenon, Pentecostalism operates within the logic of de-territorialization and re-territorialization, in which boundaries and localities are constantly shifted, reshaped and reconstituted through different local and global processes of exchanges.
Pentecostalism’s adaptability, the resulting transcultural entanglements and inner diversity pose a serious challenge to the study of Pentecostalism. It does not only prompt scholars to question the boundaries and use of the term itself, but also raises issues on how to approach and study such an ever-changing, multisited and contested phenomenon in a meaningful way.
Taking up the notion of “transculturality” as an entry point into this discussion, this interdisciplinary workshop will explore these issues in a twofold way: on the one hand addressing theoretical and methodological concerns and on the other hand discussing those concerns with reference to specific case studies. It is our intention to create a really hands-on workshop with enough room for dialogue and discussion thereby hoping that everyone will go home with something she or he can actually use in their further studies and research.

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