Bringing the Periphery to the Centre: Local religious life in Sichuan as a vector of...
Channel: SOAS University of London
Date: 25/02/2021

Bringing the Periphery to the Centre: Local religious life in Sichuan as a vector of (inter-)national transformation, 1880-1980s

Stefania Travagnin and Lars Laamann both work at SOAS (History, Religious Studies and Philosophies) and have been involved in a major research project on the modern history of religion in Sichuan funded by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation (Taiwan). This joint lecture, with the title "Bringing the Periphery to the Centre: Local religious life in Sichuan as a vector of (inter-)national transformation, 1880sâ€“1980s", presents two aspects of their research findings to date. Dr Travagnin, as Principal Investigator, starts off by introducing the aims and structure of the project, all within the context of scientific methodology and local sensitivities. Dr Laamann then presents a historical outline of what makes Sichuan both a 'peripheral' and a 'central' province within historical China. This is followed by an illustrated exposÃ© of Dr Travagnin's research into "patriotic monks", i.e. of Chinese nationalism as a constituent ingredient of the monastic orders introduced in her paper. Dr Laamann concludes with a critical summary of the Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) history of Sichuan, also commenting on the situation concerning the relevant historical archives.