Xuefei Shi: "Buddha Remoulding: Discourses, adaptations, and futurities of an emerging religiosity in Madagascar"

Frontiers of Faith: Religion in the China-Africa Space research network

"Frontiers of Faith" is a multidisciplinary academic network for scholars working on religion in the China-Africa space. Economic and political dynamics in this field have been central in scholarly and popular debates, but the complex cultural side of China-Africa encounters has been conspicuously absent. If factories, construction sites and mines have been the paradigmatic sites of China-Africa engagement, what can we learn from the small but increasing number of churches, monasteries and mosques on the complex and multifaceted ‘frontiers’ between Africa and China?

In 2024-25, "Frontiers of Faith" will host a hybrid seminar series with speakers and respondents from fields including anthropology, religious studies, history, politics and area studies. These scholars will share insights from their long-term fieldwork across the African continent and greater China, spanning a wide array of religious traditions including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Daoism, Yiguandao, Guandi Worship, and African Traditional Religions.

This presentation examines the emerging Buddhist landscape in Madagascar, drawing on a three-year ethnographic study. Xuefei Shi explores the interactions between heterogeneous elements constituting this religious assemblage, including diverse sects, Sino-Malagasy relations, and the local spiritual ecosystem. Madagascar, as an emerging node in the global Buddhist network, offers a compelling entry point and microcosm for understanding the potential future of Buddhism in multi-faith Africa.

Time: 13:00-14:30 CH; 14-00-15:30 UK

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