Public Lecture by JUDITH BECKER (MAINZ).
Start: 5.30pm
Venue: Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Gordon Room (G34)
GHIL in co-operation with the Christian Missions in Global History Seminar, Institute of Historical Research, University of London
When Basel missionaries went to India in the nineteenth century, they interacted closely with the people there, both Indians of various religious affiliations and Europeans. They tried to understand local cultures and religions so that they could better convert the locals. They immersed themselves in local thinking and practices, which in turn modified their own religiosity. This paper examines these modifications by focusing on the example of conversion, the central concern of the missionaries in India. The paper contributes to a deeper understanding of contact religiosity.