Seminar on “Christianity, Conversion and Overseas Chinese: Historical Moments in Religious Interaction”

This seminar sought to explain why Christianity was relatively slow to appeal to overseas Chinese, and why it did not gain any significant following until the 20th century.

Malaysia Studies Programme Seminar

Friday, 17 June 2016 – ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute had the pleasure of hosting Professor Barbara Andaya from University of Hawaii, also an ISEAS Visiting Senior Fellow,  to deliver a seminar on “Christianity, Conversion and Overseas Chinese: Historical Moments in Religious Interaction”.


Dr Lee Hock Guan, ISEAS Senior Fellow, introducing Professor Barbara Watson Andaya to the audience during the start of the seminar.  (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

Professor Andaya’s presentation examined the interaction between Christian missionaries and the Chinese communities in Spanish Manila, 1581-1639; the Straits Settlements, 1815-67; and Singapore and the Netherlands Indies in the 1930s.


Professor Andaya sharing that as a major objective of Christian missions in Asia was to reach China, the Southeast Asian Chinese communities were valued primarily as a preparatory training ground.  (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)


Professor Andaya addressing questions fielded from participants during the Q&A segment.  (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

Professor Andaya asserted that Christianity was relatively slow to appeal to overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, and did not gain any significant following until the 20th century. By using a comparative approach, she claimed that historicizing the global connections between Christian missions, the personalities involved, and the differing responses among overseas Chinese opens up new opportunities for Southeast Asia to become involved in the growing field of world history.


Participants at the seminar.  (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

About 60 participants attended the 1.5-hour morning seminar.