A Pedagogy of the Parochial: Pedagogical Imperialism and Mutual Accompaniment in Christian Higher Education

Historically, many North American educational engagements abroad have been entangled with colonialist logics that objectify and oppress those who live in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe (Ogden, 2008). How does contemporary Christian higher education (CHE) programming such as study abroad and international engagement navigate the history of colonialism with present desires to expand and grow into international territories? This article explores this question through the theme of mutual accompaniment, resulting from a study of more than 250 interviews that students from a U.S. college on study abroad conducted with Majority World church pastors or other congregational leaders in communities where students lived. Interviews included a series of nine questions, including, “What would you like to say to the church in North America or the West?” Church leader responses pointed to the concept of mutual accompaniment we explore in this paper. After briefly delineating this...