Whitworth Lindaman Chair Anthony Clark to Speak on the History of Christianity in China
March 6, 2018
Whitworth Associate Professor of History and Lindaman Chair Anthony Clark, Ph.D., will present a Lindaman Chair Lecture on “The Religious Façade: Cultural Encounter and the Architecture of Conversion in China” on Wednesday, March 14, in the Hixson Union Building (HUB) Crow’s Nest at 7 p.m.
In his third of four annual lectures as Lindaman Chair, Clark will continue exploring the themes of religious freedom, tolerance and encounters on the global landscape. Recent decades have shown increased interest in the history of Christianity in China, especially concerning socio-cultural exchange between local Chinese and Western missionaries. This talk will describe how missionary architecture in Beijing was connected to the French ideal of la mission civilisatrice, or the civilizing mission to convert China to Christianity as well as Western culture.
Clark, who specializes in Chinese history, directs Whitworth’s Asian studies program and the Whitworth in China study-abroad program. He is the author of several scholarly books, including Heaven in Conflict: Franciscans and the Boxer Uprising in Shanxi (University of Washington Press, 2015) and China’s Saints: Catholic Martyrdom during the Qing (1644-1911) (Lehigh University Press, 2011). His most recent works include a collection of rare missionary photographs taken in China, and a book on the life of the French bishop Alphonse Favier, the missionary and architect who constructed a “French kingdom” in China’s imperial capital.
The Lindaman Chair Lecture is held each spring and features Whitworth's appointed Edward B. Lindaman Chair, named for the university’s 14th president. The position is an endowed, rotating chair for senior Whitworth faculty who are engaged in significant regional and national academic initiatives and who contribute to public dialogue concerning important social issues.
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Anita Lewis, academic program assistant for history, Whitworth University, (509) 777-3270 or anitalewis@whitworth.edu
Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu
Clark, who specializes in Chinese history, directs Whitworth’s Asian studies program and the Whitworth in China study-abroad program. He is the author of several scholarly books, including Heaven in Conflict: Franciscans and the Boxer Uprising in Shanxi (University of Washington Press, 2015) and China’s Saints: Catholic Martyrdom during the Qing (1644-1911) (Lehigh University Press, 2011). His most recent works include a collection of rare missionary photographs taken in China, and a book on the life of the French bishop Alphonse Favier, the missionary and architect who constructed a “French kingdom” in China’s imperial capital.
The Lindaman Chair Lecture is held each spring and features Whitworth's appointed Edward B. Lindaman Chair, named for the university’s 14th president. The position is an endowed, rotating chair for senior Whitworth faculty who are engaged in significant regional and national academic initiatives and who contribute to public dialogue concerning important social issues.
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Anita Lewis, academic program assistant for history, Whitworth University, (509) 777-3270 or anitalewis@whitworth.edu
Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu
