The Center for Christian Studies aims to promote the humanistic spirit and ultimate concern. Its mission includes supporting the teaching of Christianity within the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs in the Department of Philosophy at Fudan University, integrating Christian studies resources across various departments, and expanding connections with academic institutions and scholars both domestically and internationally. As a center within a comprehensive university, its approach to Christian teaching and research differs from that of theological seminaries. Rather than focusing on cultivating students' religious faith and evangelistic abilities, the center emphasizes academic research, with the goal of fostering humanistic values, a sense of ultimate concern, and a spirit of dedication to serving society.
Fudan University has a strong tradition in Christian studies. As early as the 1960s, Professor Yin Dayi began offering courses on Christianity, and in the 1980s, he published Philosophy of Christianity, a pioneering work in the field that had significant influence in China. Currently, the center’s research areas include Christian theology, biblical studies, the history of Christianity in China, the history of Christian universities in China, Jewish studies, American religion, religious ethics, sociology of religion, and interreligious dialogue. The center has trained a large number of high-quality scholars in Christian studies.
In 2010, led by the Center for Christian Studies at Fudan University and in collaboration with other research institutions and prominent scholars from the Christian community in China, the Encyclopedia of Christianity was published by the Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House.
In 2002, the Anthology of Western Religious Philosophy was published, serving as a useful reference for university-level courses on philosophy of religion.
Also in 2002, the first volume of the Christian Studies Journal, edited by Xu Yihua and Zhang Qingxiong, was released. The journal showcases some of the outcomes of Christian studies at Fudan University. Its contributors include not only Fudan faculty and students but also scholars from China and abroad, with articles covering a wide range of topics such as the relationship between theology and philosophy, and interactions between Chinese culture and Christianity.
