Fellows of the Center for Global Christianity and Mission

Glen Alton Messer, II
BFA, magna cum laude, Eastern Michigan University, 1997
MDiv, Boston University, 2001
ThD, Boston Universit, 2006

Dr. Glen Messer is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Boston University and is Senior Fellow with the Center. He is editor of the cgcm News and oversees the Cross-Cultural Partnership Program at Boston University School of Theology.


Elizabeth C. Parsons
BA, suma cum laude, Harding University, 1979
MA, Emerson College, 1989
MDiv, Harvard Divinity School, 1998
PhD, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007

Dr. Liz Parsons is an adjunct Lecturer at Boston University and a Fellow with the Center.


Kijin James Wu
BA, Taiwan Theological College, 1990
MM, The Boston Conservatory, 1995
MDiv, Boston University, 1998
ThD, Boston University, 2008
 
Dr. James Wu is a Fellow with the Center.

Stephen Offutt

BA, Wheaton College, 1995
MA, SAIS-Johns Hopkins University, 2000
PhD, Boston University, 2009

 Dr. Stephen Offutt is a Fellow with the Center.

Stephen Offutt is a sociologist of religion with a special interest on global evangelicalism.  Before beginning his doctoral work, Offutt garnered five years of international work experience, primarily in Central America and southern Africa.  Current academic projects include work on religion's role in developing multiple modernities, new movements within global evangelicalism, and the impact of short term missions on churches in the Global South.

Jesudas Mathew Athyal

• M.A. in Philosophy - University of Kerala 
  B.A. (Major: Philosophy; Minors: Sociology & Political Science) - University of Kerala
   46 Johnson Road, Winchester, MA 01890

Several years of teaching and research experience in the area of Christian mission in pluralist contexts. Specialized in the religion and society studies of South Asia. A member of the Mar Thoma Church (Reformed Indian Church which is in communion with the Anglican fellowship).

• Member, Steering Committee, New England Maritimes Region/ American Academy of Religion (currently)
• Member, Commission on Christian Unity, Massachusetts Council of Churches (currently)
• Member, Board of Director, Refugee Immigration Ministry, Massachusetts (currently)
• Member, Theological Commission, Mar Thoma Church (1994)
• Member, C.S.I.-C.N.I.-Mar Thoma Joint Council (1993)
• Delegate of the Mar Thoma Church, Christian Conference of Asia (Seoul, S. Korea), 1985.

• 2008             Public Lecture on, "The Conversion Debate in India: From Tambaram to the Present", at 
•                       the Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut.
• 2005            Advisor/ Consultant at the Mission Conference organized by the World Council of
•                      Churches at Athens, Greece.
• 2002-04      Member, ‘Interrogating Mission' Study Project of the Center of Theological Inquiry,
•                      Princeton, NJ & United Theological College, Bangalore, India.

• 1995 - 98     General Convenor, National Research Project on ‘New Patterns of Mission and          
                        Evangelism in the Pluralist Context of India.'

• 1994            Coordinator, CCA Consultation on Religion, State and Communalism, Chennai, India.
• COURSES TAUGHT
• Emerging Theological Trends in South Asia
• Mission, Ecumenism and Dialogue: The meaning of Christian Witness in a Pluralistic Context
• Gospel and Cultures: Inter-religious Conversion, Baptism and the Church Philosophy and Ethics
• Third World Theology with Special Focus on Indian Christian Theology
• Social Analysis: The Social and Economic Context for Theologizing
• Dalit Theology: Theology from a Subaltern Perspective

• Relevant Patterns of Christian Witness in India (2000)
• Mission Today: Subaltern Perspectives (2001)
• The Community We Seek: Perspectives on Mission (2003)

• M. M. Thomas: The Man and His Legacy (1997)
• To Minister or to Administer?: Perspectives on Church Administration (1994)
• Keeping Hope Alive: Theological Insights from the Past - For Today (1993)

• Religion, State & Communalism: A Post-Ayodhya Reflection (1995)
• Metropolitan Chrysostom on Mission in the Market Place (2002)

• "Stimulus Package and the Way Forward" (Article in The Meeting Place, Valley Cottage, New York), April.
• "To be an Indian Christian in USA" (Published by the Parish of the Epiphany, Winchester, MA), February.
• "Economic Crisis: The Challenge and Opportunity" (Article in The Meeting Place, Valley Cottage, New York), January.
• Strong Religion, Zealous Media: Christian Fundamentalism and Communalism in India, by Pradip N. Thomas (Book review in Media Development (World Association of Christian Communication, Toronto, Canada), January.
• The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century by Michael Bergunder (Book Review in International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, CT (forthcoming)
• "Humanism and Religion: The Emerging Dialogue" in the P. S. Jacob  Festschrift Volume published by the Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India (forthcoming)
• Baptism Today: Understanding, Practice, Ecumenical Implications (Ed. Thomas F. Best; Pub. WCC): book review in Dharma Deepika, Chennai, India (forthcoming).

• "Going the Extra Mile in Enlivening the Vision: The Faith Journey of Gurukul" (Published in Gurukul Jyothi, Chennai), March.
• "Globalization: A Theological Discussion" (Editorial in Gurukul Journal of Theological Studies, Chennai, India), January.
• "Paul's Epistle to the Romans: A Study in the Indian Context" in India Bible Commentary published by the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India (forthcoming).

• "The Conversion Debate in India: From Tambaram to Hans Ucko and to a Subaltern Perspective" (Published in Dharma Deepika, Chennai, India), July - December.  
• "The Passion of the Christ of the Indian Road", in Diocesan Herald (Pub. Mar Thoma Church, Chennai - Bangalore Diocese), March.  
• "Metropolitan Chrysostom's Message in the 21st Century" in Darshan (Pub. Mar Thoma Church, Delhi Diocese), March.  

• "An Exploration of the Diaconal Ministry of the Church" (Paper presented at the Third Consultation on ‘Interrogating Mission' - CTI-UTC Joint Study Project, at the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, N.J. and published in News of Boundless Riches: Interrogating, Comparing and Reconstructing Mission in a Global Era (Edited by Langsangkima Pachuau & Max L. Stackhouse).

• "The Lost Tribes of Andaman" (Article written after a trip to Andamans, India) Unpublished

• "The Theological Potential of ‘Scepticism' and ‘Dissidence' (Published in Gurukul Jyothi, Chennai), March.
• "From Permeation to Protest: Widening Frontiers of Christian Mission" (Paper presented at the Center for Mission Studies Consultation at the Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India. Published in Voices, Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (June) and in Gurukul Journal of Theological Studies, Chennai, India (January).

• "The Return of the Sacred: An Indian Christian Perspective on Religion and Society" (Paper presented at the Center for Mission Studies Consultation (Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India). Published in, Nationalism and Hindutva (Ed. Mark T. B. Laing)
• "Come Holy Spirit, Diagnose, Heal and Reconcile: Lingering Questions from Athens" (Paper on the World Mission Conference, Athens, Greece published in the International Review of Mission (WCC, Geneva), October.
• "Gospel and Cultures: A Subaltern Reading of the History of Christian Mission in India" (Published in UBS Journal, Pune, India), September.

• "The Public Mission of the Church in Pluralistic Societies: with Special Reference to the Indian Context" (Published in Dharma Deepika, Chennai, India), July - December.

• "The Changing Face of the Indian Society and the New Challenges for Dalit Theology" (Paper presented at the International Consultation on, ‘Dalit Theology and A Theology of the Oppressed' at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and published in Gurukul Journal of Theological Studies, Chennai, India), January & July.

• "Witnessing Christ in a Pluralistic Society" (Published in the Souvenir of the St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, Vellore, India).

• "Salvation and Humanisation in a Pluralistic Context: M. M. Thomas' Search for Relevant Spirituality" (Published in Dharma Deepika, Chennai, India), July - December.
• "For times such as this...: Remembering Poulose Mar Poulose (Published in People's Reporter, Kerala), April.

• "Relevant Patterns of Christian Witness in Pluralistic Societies: An Indian Perspective" (Published in International Review of Mission, WCC, Geneva), April.

• "Identity and Mission: Mar Thoma Church in the 21^st Century" (Published in Dharma Deepika, Chennai, India), July - December.
• "Identity And Mission: Towards A New Ecclesiology" (Mission Lectures delivered at the Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam, India), March.
• "Identity and Mission: Mar Thoma Church outside Kerala" (Published in Mar Thoma Messenger, New York), January.

• "Relevant Patterns of Christian Witness in the Pluralistic Context of India" (Mission Lectures delivered at the Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ), March.
• "Gospel and Cultures: An Indian Perspective" (Paper presented at the Seminar at the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ), March.
• "The Operation: And the Sound of Silence" (Written at the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ), Unpublished.

• "Development Ethics and National Boundaries" (Paper presented at the Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy, Boston, MA), August.

• Mission - Evangelism Priorities Today" (Published in NCC Review, National Council of Churches in India), July.

• "Religion, Marxism & Humanism in Dialogue" (Article in Liberating Witness, the festschrift in honor of K. Rajaratnam, Gurukul, Chennai), August.

• "Christianity and Social Change in Kerala" (Paper presented at the International Congress on Kerala Studies, Trivandrum), August.

• "An Interpretive Report of the Seminar on the thought of M. M. Thomas (Published in SATHRI Journal, Bangalore), February.

• "Societal Scenario in Contemporary Times and the Place of Churches in it" (Paper presented at the Consultation on National issues organized by the National Council of Churches in India. Published in NCC Review, Nagpur), May.

• "The Eastern Option" (Published in Stree, NCCI/AICCW, Chennai), August.
• "Christian Youth/ Student Work in India: Some Ringside Reflections" (Paper presented at the Youth Seminar of the National Council of Churches in India, Bangalore), June.

• "Religion, Politics and Communalism: A Discussion on the Contemporary Mission of the Church in India" (Paper presented at the Workshop of the National Council of Churches in India, Pune), April.
• "S.C.M.: Where do we go from here?" (Paper presented at the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of the Student Christian Movement of India).

• "The Liberative Nature of Christian Music in India" (Published in NCC Review, Nagpur), November.