Levenson Prize 2013 for a groundbreaking book on religion in China

As a colleague of both in the French GSRL team, I very proudly recommand Vincent Goossaert and David A. Palmer The Religious Question in Modern China  (University of Chicago Press, 2011), a groundbreaking book which obtained the 2013 AAS CIAC Levenson Book Prize!

The Religious Question in Modern China, co-authored by Vincent Goossaert and David Palmer, is a tour de force account of Chinese religiosity over the past century and across mainland China, the "new Chinese states" of Taiwan and Singapore, and diaspora communities in Southeast Asia and further afield.

It digests and makes legible a huge body of research (including their own major monographs) to a general China readership that often ignores or stereotypes religion in and from China. For those who study Evangelicals, lots of up-to-date material and analysis will also be found there. A must-read!

2012, the Year when French "cellar Evangelicals" came into fame

As a scholar working on Evangelicals, what would be my "highlight of the year"? 

As far as France is concerned, I choose  the huge media attention on "cellar Evangelicals" after a tragic accident that happened in Stains (Paris subburbs) on the 8th of April, 2012 (Easter).

Paris is not only the "city of light". It is also a multicultural metropolis where poverty, unemployment, high property prices and sometimes difficult relations with local authorities mean that minority religion have a hard time finding decent worship places.

For many years, media attention was mainly focused on islam. Scholar Gilles Kepel rightly highlighted a "cellar islam", lacking proper space in French subburbs.

Back from South Sudan and Hope for a New nation Festival

I just come back from an amazing week in JUBA (South Sudan), where I came to survey, as a French scholar, a huge Christian event organized by Rev Franklin Graham. 

At the HOPE FOR A NEW NATION Festival I've been to, there were apparently up to 94,000 attenders in 2 days. Amazing!

For those who speak French, there are more details in my French-speaking blog, and also in this other one devoted to promote friendship between France and South Sudan. See also my Flickr album here.

French Evangelicals through an American lens (GetReligion)

In our last post, we just highlighted the paper published by the Christian Science Monitor on French Evangelicals. A few days after, the GetReligion website (worth a visit!) released a critical review of this paper, written by George Conger.

Although it may be a little bit severe, it is inspiring (read also the comments).

Link here

French Evangelicals screened by the Christian Science Monitor

"For years, intellectuals proclaimed the end of Christianity in France, swallowed by the tides of modernity, science, and reason."

Not so sure! To know more, read this month the Christian Science Monitor, one of the most US respected magazine on christian news.

Robert Marquand, CS's Staff writer, authored a must-read study on French Evangelicals in the July 2012 issue. With facts, analysis, and comparative view (France/America). Link here

Evangelicals accuse French officials of discrimination (Global Post)

Immigrant Evangelical churches are a fast-growing movment in France. Mostly related to the Francophone world (According to the La nouvelle France protestante 2011 book, there is around 40 millions of  French-speaking protestants in the World), they are often poor, and have a hard time finding proper worship places.

To know more about these issues, Clea Caulcutt just released a very well-crafted report, published in the Global Post (July 1, 2012). Link

Death of a megachurch leader in France: Selvaraj Rajiah (1952-2011)

Megachurches are not just a US (or Nigerian, Korean...) phenomenon.

Even Secular France has got some, including Paris Christian Center in La Courneuve (North of Paris), attracting more than 4,000 regular attenders every week.

This is why the sudden and unexpected death of Selvaraj Rajiah, senior pastor of PCC, is a major event in the French protestant news.

Now in bookstores and on Amazon: La nouvelle France protestante

An IFOP national Survey in 2010 reveals a brand new Protestant map in France.

While many speak openly about the collapse of organized Christianity in contemporary France, the heirs of French Reformers (including French-born John Calvin) are currently growing.

Although this is unexpected, it can't be denied. This process goes along with the spread of Evangelical new communities. A third of all current French protestants are Evangelicals, while 60% remain attached to the presbyterian and lutheran traditions. This new landscape draws questions and requires analysis.

French Evangelical News: a new portal

Under the umbrella of an Evangelical network whose main ambition is to support Christian witness in France, let's highlight this website: http://www.scoop.it/t/french-evangelical-news.

This new portal puts together news from many different origins (including this blog), and appears to be a valuable ressource in order to document French Evangelicals' contemporary life.

Lorraine Winston (1922-2011)

Strange, while highlighting the Faculté de Vaux-sur-Seine's impact on the French Evangelical field, I mentioned a few days ago John Winston and Lorraine Winston's legacy. In their own ways, both of them impacted French contemporary Protestant history.

I just learned that Lorraine Winston passed away. The service will be held on the 24th of October, 2011.

A rare insight on a French Evangelical "hub"

In demographic terms, Evangelicalism in France amounts to a third of all French Protestants.

In terms of practicing Protestants, however, the rate is very different. Around two thirds (if not three quarters) of practicing Protestants in contemporary France are Evangelicals.

But lots of research still needs to be done in order to know better these French born-again citizens.

Greece: an immigrant's nightmare

Immigration becomes more and more controversial in aging Europe.

Even France, often self-described as "the hotbed of Human Rights" (French Revolution, blablabla), is currently facing the growth of extreme right wing party (with Marine le Pen, credited with 20% of vote intentions!).

Often described as a threat, migrants' rights are more and more at risk.

How do Civil societies react ? Including churches ?

Isle of Lewis, the last Calvinistic stronghold in Europe?

Last month, I had the priviledge to be invited by David W. Bebbington to a conference organized by the Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism in Britain Project.

My topic was an exotic one: I spoke on Isle of Lewis (SCOTLAND), the last Calvinistic stronghold in Europe!

Diversity in the French media: still some work to be done

In a book published in 2004, I highlighted the fact that many French people just happen to see Black faces on the TV because of…. American movies.

Unfortunatly, this is still largely true today.

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Billy Graham's legacy in Europe

On the occasion of today's Billy Graham's 90th Birthday...

"Billy Graham is without a doubt the most global American evangelist of the twentieth century. Supported by the BGEA, an evangelism multinational, he travelled the five continents for over half a century.

It is no surprise that Continental Europe has been one of the main targets of his outreach. Isn’t Europe the world’s most secular continent?

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A new book on Evangelicals and Empire

The globalization process brings specific issues: who will control the dynamics of the global capitalist economy? Two famous authors, Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, emphasize in two well-known books, Empire and Multitude, that an imperial trend is currently working.

Its aim is domination, domination, and profit.

What about the religious factor? What about the role of Evangelicals in empire?

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