Cultivation of the Faithful, Ethical, and Healthy Christian: A Comparative Study

Fall 2015 Grant Recipient

Graduate Student

Xinyan Peng (Anthropology) As an anthropology Ph.D. student,Xinyan conducts ethnographic research on closely connected Christian communities in Charlottesville, Virginia and Shanghai,China, to explore the intersection of religiosity, spirituality, morality, and mentality shaped byChineseand American cultures and specific localities. With a comparative approach, and a focus on transnational ties between local Christian communities, her research asks how Christianity is lived in as a religion and ethics in different cultural and local contexts. In particular, she asks how issues related to spirituality, ethics, and mental health are intertwined in the daily lives ofChineseChristians to shape Christianity in different cultures, and how individualChinesecultivate themselves to be "faithful," "moral," and "healthy" Christians in the U.S. andChina.The CGII grant awarded supports her ongoing fieldwork in Charlottesville, Virginia.