About CWCR
History
The Centre for the Study of World Christianity and Religion traces its origins to the founding of the School of Mission in 1843, established to meet the Norwegian Mission Society’s (NMS) need for training missionaries for service abroad. Insights gained from mission work in Africa and Asia gradually informed theological reflection and academic publications, and in 2002, the School of Mission and Theology (MHS) launched its PhD program in theology and religion. Following the merger of MHS into VID Specialized University in 2016, the Centre for Mission and Global Studies was established, and in 2025 it was renamed the Centre for the Study of World Christianity and Religion (CWCR). This shift, from mission to World Christianity, reflects the Centre’s evolving focus on Christian practices globally, with particular attention to postcolonial perspectives and issues of minority identity.
Research
The centre conducts research through its PhD students and academic staff in various fields. First and foremost, the centre emphasizes World Christianity as a theoretical and methodological lens applicable to all theological disciplines. We understand World Christianity both as the living reality of a multi-centred, plural, global church, but also, as an integrated research approach to the study of theology, the Christian religion and its cultural and contextual manifestations worldwide throughout history. World Christianity studies are furthermore invested in bottom-up approaches centring on the perspectives of minorities, marginalised voices, oppressed people groups, and so forth.
Second, CWCR also serves as a hub for the study of other religious traditions. Current research includes a particular focus on Buddhist practices in Asia and Islamic practices in Africa and the Middle East. Our aim is to explore religious beliefs and practices in a globalized world, examining how cultural, political, and economic transformations, especially those linked to increased human mobility, shape religious communities and foster new interreligious encounters. This global approach towards religious practices requires careful attention to the interplay between religion and culture. As such, historical and cultural analysis are important scholarly traditions that inform the research activities of the centre.
Most projects in the CWCR portfolio are, however, rooted in the various theological disciplines and sub-disciplines illustrated by the following examples:
Postcolonial/Decolonial Studies
Applying a postcolonial and decolonial perspective to World Christianity and Religion involves critically examining how colonialism has shaped the development and spread of Christianity globally, including the missionary enterprise. A postcolonial and decolonial approach involves shifting from a Western-centric view to a polycentric understanding of Christianity worldwide. It also emphasizes the voices and interpretative strategies of indigenous communities and marginalized groups.
Migration
Though Christianity from the very beginning arguably has been a religion of migration, globalization and more recent waves of work migrants, refugees, international students, and other kinds of migrants have dramatically altered societal demographics as well as religious landscapes. Older missionary movements and emigration patterns from Europe to North America also fall within these scopes of migration. Said simply, the very fact that people bring with them their faith and religion when they move, presents a nexus for inquiring what religion may mean in migratory contexts for those migrating, how host societies receiving migrants relate to increasing religious diversity, and how religion affect the respective home contexts of migrants. These migratory realities reflect challenging questions about identity, diaspora contexts, interreligious encounters, (reverse) mission, and about how faith is transferred to the next generations.
Contextual Theologies
A polycentric view of Christian faith and experience recognizes how Christian theology has developed as an expression of diverse cultural, social, and political contexts, responding to the experiences and spiritual needs of communities within these settings.
Global Pentecostalism
Studying the complexities of contemporary World Christianity can hardly be done without attention to global Pentecostalism and the exponential growth of Pentecostal-charismatic forms of Christianity. Pentecostal movements have not only unsettled established ecclesial landscapes, but also brought new questions concerning sociologies of religion, spirituality, and theology, encompassing unmapped local expressions of charismatic faith, grassroot movements, and significant international and transnational Pentecostal mega-networks. Thus, studying global Pentecostalism takes place from interdisciplinary vantage points, engaging the intersections of the contextual cultural, social, and theological fabrics of Pentecostalism.
Gender
Because of its focus on power dynamics and the contextual expressions of religion and Christian faith, research in World Christianity and Religion examines how gender identities and roles influence the interpretation of authoritative texts, perceptions of leadership in religious communities, and the agency of women and other marginalized groups in society. Gender-based violence and the ways religious communities respond to it are topics that are given particular attention.