While research on colonial architecture and space has found a broad academic interest during the past several decades, research on the architectural staging and spatial implications of the worldwide expansion of religion has found much less concern. Nonetheless, the development of colonial empires in the nineteenth and twentieth century went hand in hand with a missionary revival sending Christian missionaries to every corner of the world. As those missionaries generally were in closer contact with the local population than colonial officials, studying their spatial practices and strategies offers high potential for analysing the dynamics of intercultural interaction in the imperial encounter.

We invite papers that explore the possible lines of a nuanced analytical scheme to study this interaction between missionary work and space. Critical in this scheme is an approach to missionary architecture and space not so much as a backdrop for the missionary encounter, but as an essential part of this encounter in itself. Moreover, we explicitly call for papers that explore the roles of the different actors involved in creating meaning and performing practices in these spaces.

In general, the scientific committee welcomes all papers that shed light on the complex and plural realities surrounding the interaction between missionary work and space in colonial settings. The workshop focuses on missionary work of all denominations in colonial settings between roughly 1800 and 1960. We aim at bringing both an overview of existing research and exploring new ways of studying this interaction. Papers exploring new methodologies are particularly encouraged. We explicitly strive to include research coming from a multitude of disciplines (architectural history, history, mission history, anthropology, geography, cultural studies).

A more detailed call for papers - outlining possible research questions - and additional information on this workshop can be obtained with Bram Cleys (bram.cleys@asro.kuleuven.be).

If interested, please submit a 250 words abstract and a c.v. by 31 December 2006 to Bram Cleys (bram.cleys@asro.kuleuven.be). Final papers are due for pre-circulation on 31 October 2007.

Venue: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)

Scientific Committee: Bruno De Meulder (Dept. of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), Jan De Maeyer (KADOC – Documentation and Research Center for Religion, Culture and Society, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), Nicholas Bullock (Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge), Sabine Cornelis (Department of History, Royal Museum of Central Africa), Johan Lagae (Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ghent University)