Call for Papers: Mission Studies and Decoloniality in the Global South

Unsettling the Center: Reimagining Mission Studies
and Decoloniality in the Global South

De La Salle University
Manila, Philippines
January 21–23, 2026

Introduction
The 21st century has witnessed a significant shift in the landscape of global Christianity. Regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America—once viewed as the “receiving” ends of mission—have emerged as vibrant epicenters of theological innovation, ecclesial growth, and prophetic witness. Despite these developments, mission theology and practice often remain confined to Eurocentric frameworks that marginalize indigenous voices and perpetuate epistemic injustice.
This international conference seeks to bring together scholars, faith leaders, and activists to critically engage with the intersections of Mission Studies and Decoloniality in the context of the Global South. The conference aims to dismantle colonial legacies in Christian mission and affirm life-giving alternatives rooted in local wisdom, embodied spirituality, and justice-oriented theologies.

Background
Historically, Mission Studies emerged from Western ecclesiastical and academic traditions, frequently reinforcing colonial ideologies and systems of power. Missions were often framed as civilizing projects intertwined with imperial expansion and cultural domination.
In recent decades, however, theologians and missiologists from the Global South have challenged these paradigms through decolonial critiques and constructive models rooted in their histories, cultures, and struggles. Examples include:
Africa: Emphasis on inculturation and the recovery of African Indigenous Knowledge Systems within theology.
Asia: Liberationist and interreligious approaches that highlight dialogical mission, resistance to empire, and grassroots empowerment.
Latin America: Liberation theology’s focus on social justice, solidarity with the poor, and the preferential option for the marginalized.

While contextually diverse, these regions share common concerns:

• Critiquing mission as a colonial tool.
• Reclaiming local epistemologies and indigenous spiritualities.
• Resisting economic, political, and cultural neo-colonialism.
• Shaping mission as mutual, relational, and transformative.
• Addressing inequalities in economic, authority, gender/sexuality, and knowledge structures.

This conference envisions decolonial mission not merely as a critique but as a creative task—imagining new pathways of Gospel witness that are just, inclusive, deeply contextual, and responsive to the challenges of the Global South.

Objectives
To create a critical and creative space for decolonial engagement in Mission Studies.
To amplify and connect theologies emerging from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
To foster interregional solidarity among scholars and communities in the Global South.
To contribute to a renewed vision of mission rooted in justice, reciprocity, and contextual faithfulness.
To reimagine the teaching methodologies and practices of Mission Studies in the Global South.

Proposed Topics for Lectures and Panel Discussions
Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Historical and Theological Foundations: Mission and empire, decolonial hermeneutics, indigenous Christianity.
• Contextual Theologies and Praxis: African theologies of inculturation and liberation; Asian interreligious mission in pluralistic contexts; Latin American liberation and postcolonial mission discourses.
• Ecclesial and Missional Innovations: Community-based missiology, ecclesial mission practices, rethinking evangelization in a postcolonial world.
• Decolonizing Theological Education and Missiological Research.
• Contemporary Struggles and Emerging Frontiers:
  • Mission and ecological justice in the Global South.
  • Gender, race, and the politics of belonging in mission spaces.
  • Digital colonialism and mission in the age of technology.
• Intercontinental Conversations: Africa-Asia-Latin America dialogues on mission futures and towards a Global South missiological framework.

Important Dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: October 15, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: October 20, 2025
Full Paper Submission Deadline: December 15, 2025

Submission Guidelines
Abstracts (300–500 words) should include:
Title of the paper.
Name, affiliation, and contact details of the author(s).
A brief outline of the topic, methodology, and relevance to the conference theme.
Participation Fee: $100 

Please submit abstracts to: https://forms.gle/UPsZ76D3m7zfxqPc9

Convenors from IAMS (International Association for Mission Studies)
Prof. Thinandavha Derrick Mashau (Africa) mashatd@unisa.ac.za 
Prof. Fides del Castillo (Asia) fides.delcastillo@dlsu.edu.ph 
Prof. Joaquim Andrade (Latin America) joachimandrade@terra.com.br