"Civilizing Mission" and French Catholic Missionary Francis Aupiais: A Chat with Briana Wong Smoak

In today's episode, Claire is joined by Dr. Briana Wong Smoak to discuss the “civilizing mission” associated with French Catholic missionary activity in West Africa through the often-obscured experiences of Indigenous midwives who worked within, alongside, and sometimes beyond the mission of Francis Aupiais.

Briana Wong Smoak started at Baylor as a Lecturer in the World Religions area in August 2025, after having previously worked at Phillips Theological Seminary and Wake Forest University School of Divinity. She takes great delight in her role as a teacher, seeking to help students grow as they continue to discern their callings. Briana is passionate about the biblical mandate for justice and encourages her students to live into God’s heart for those on the margins. Briana’s academic work centers on Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and how Christians in the West might be able to learn more about following Jesus by listening to the voices of those from other parts of the world.