The Centre for Marian Studies Research Seminar: The Marian Signature of Singapore Catholicism

In our first Research Seminar of 2024-25, Dr Michel Chambon will explore in a systematic way the range of Marian representations in Singapore.

In local Catholic churches, the Virgin Mary is usually represented through three specific forms – one outdoor statue of Mary (often Our Lady of Lourdes within an extremely elaborate grotto) on the church grounds; one statue of Our Lady of Fatima within the sanctuary; and one icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help within the sanctuary. While some variations do exist, this is still the dominant pattern across the thirty-two parishes of the archdiocese of Singapore.

Although there are thousands of ways to represent Mary, in this small country of Southeast Asia, she is usually manifested through these three distinct symbols.

Revisiting the history of Catholicism on the island-state – as well as its complex relationship with other religions and the state – Dr Chambon will argue that this Marian signature reflects not only the history of the local Church but also its current religious-cultural impulse. Reflecting on the challenge of ethnic diversity, post- colonialism, and Marxism, he will highlight how this signature is not simply a passive leftover of the past but an active statement of the present.

On a broader level, he will briefly compare Singapore to the surrounding region. Revisiting how Mary is represented in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and the Philippines, he will argue that each national context has a distinct Marian signature. As every single country constructs a different Marian footprint, it provides a unique opportunity to systematically and organically analyse national forms of Catholicism, devotional practices, and the shared theology of Asian Catholics.

The speaker

Michel Chambon has a PhD in Anthropology from Boston University. He is a French Catholic theologian and a cultural anthropologist interested in Christianity in Asia, and he has published research on the agency of Christian buildings, Chinese Pentecostalism, and Chinese Catholic nuns. His most recent book, Making Christ Present in China: Actor-Network Theory and the Anthropology of Christianity, examines the five Christian denominations of Nanping (Fujian Province) to question the ways social science theorizes the unity and diversity of Christianity. As a Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore, he coordinates the Initiative for the Study of Asian Catholics (www.isac-research.org). His current research projects examine the materialisation of Christianity within Taiwanese households, as well as the expansion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta across the Asia Pacific region.

Register

To join the audience, please register for the free Zoom link by sending an email to Catherine O'Brien at info@marianstudies.ac.uk.