Congres: Bouncing Back: The Return of Missionaries in the Low Countries

In the 19th and 20th century churches and religious societies and associations in Belgium and the Netherlands developed an impressive missionary activity that was not limited to the intensive colonial territories of both countries, but spread out over the entire world. Tens of thousands of male and female missionaries - Catholic, Protestant, independent or organized - left for different countries; engaged with foreign cultures, and staged a variety of initiatives on different fields beyond the strictly religious realm, including health care, education, and science. Over the last past years, a multidisciplinary body of scholars has analyzed the impact and legacy of these missionary activities, mainly from the perspectives of the countries of destination or of the missionaries themselves. The expansion of missionary activities, however, also had an impact on society, culture and religion in Belgium and the Netherlands. The transnational networks and exchanges generated by missionary activities bounced, in different ways, back to both countries, and had a much wider effect than anticipated. These aspects entered the broader history of the Low Countries during the 19th and 20th centuries.

The conference takes place on 22-23 September 2022 in Leuven.
The conference organizers provide accommodation for all invited speakers.
Please send your proposal (max. 500 words) and a CV to kim.christiaens@kuleuven.be before 1 May 2022.
More info in this document.