The Cambridge Centre for Chinese Theology was established in 2025, following a generous donation from Lux Mundi Inc (USA). Professor David Fergusson and Dr Ximian Simeon Xu are its founding Co-Directors.
The dramatic growth of both Chinese Christianities and the churches of global Chinese diasporas is generating increased interaction between Western and Chinese theological academia. However, extensive cross-cultural collaboration in the UK remains underdeveloped. The Centre aims to advance Chinese theology understood in the broadest sense through addressing the context and concerns of Chinese Christians, the study of theological work emerging from China and the Chinese diaspora, and the facilitating of closer links between theologians from the West and those in China and elsewhere in Asia. It seeks to facilitate global and cross-cultural dialogue on Chinese theologies and serve as an interface between Western and East Asian theological institutions and scholars.
The Centre has the following threefold aim:
(1) To extend the research scope of academic theology in the UK
Over the past several decades, the reception of Western theology in the circle of Chinese Christianities has already produced a significant volume of theological outputs. Through the Faculty of Divinity, the Centre will engage intensively with theologies in Chinese and, more broadly, East Asian culture.
(2) To catalyse exchange and collaboration between Western and Chinese theologians and religious thinkers worldwide
The Centre will provide both Western and Chinese theologians with an opportunity to collaborate on key theological themes from various cultural, theological, and philosophical perspectives. This will expose Western and Chinese scholars to a wider range of perspectives, theological traditions, and values, leading to the cross-cultural flourishing of theological study.
(3) To create and foster academic links between leading universities, divinity schools and scholars in Europe, North America, East Asia, and South Asia, by advancing the study of Chinese theologies
This international engagement will create a network of collaboration on Chinese theologies extending beyond individual partnerships. These academic links will enable collaboration on problems and challenges which concern both Chinese and Western communities.
Contact us on ccct@divinity.cam.ac.uk.