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Center for Asian American Christianity

Center for Asian American Christianity

By The Center for Asian American Christianity at PTS

The Center for Asian American Christianity is a thought leader in the areas of Asian American theology and ministry. We curate a forward-thinking conversation about the issues confronting Asian American churches at ltiaa.com

Learn more about the Center for Asian American Christianity at www.ptsem.edu/academics/center-for-asian-american-christianity
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Melissa Borja and Jonathan Tran: 2021 AAT Conference - Part 1

Center for Asian American ChristianityApr 15, 2021

00:00
26:47
Christ Among the Classes feat. Al Tizon | Dialogues in Asian American Theology & Ministry

Christ Among the Classes feat. Al Tizon | Dialogues in Asian American Theology & Ministry

This is a session in the series Dialogues in Asian American Theology and Ministry. Description: Christ Among the Classes (Orbis Books) paints a picture of Jesus among the rich and the poor of his day and calls the church to imitate Christ among the rich and the poor of our day by the power of the Spirit. In light of Asian and Asian-American cultures, where success is defined and pursued in particular ways, what might this call look like?

Mar 19, 202432:15
David Chao & Sharon Wada | A Framework for Asian American Spiritual Formation

David Chao & Sharon Wada | A Framework for Asian American Spiritual Formation

This lecture was part of the 2024 Asian American Mental Health Conference “Intergenerational Wholeness for Asian Americans.” Find out more about the conference here: https://caac.ptsem.edu/events/2024-mental-health-conference/.

Abstract: After the new-found excitement of coming to faith, we eventually encounter the limits of what we can achieve on our own in our spiritual journeys. We encounter a spiritual wall. This spiritual wall is a sign for a renewed encounter with God’s grace in forms that perhaps we have not yet received. As Asian American Christians, our intergenerational family history along with our social history as Asians in the US and in God’s divine economy factor into our experience of both spiritual walls and God’s grace. Come to this plenary talk that introduces a framework for Asian American spiritual formation that emphasizes how God longs to meet us in all our spheres of life.

Feb 23, 202447:41
From Crucible to Chalice: Reimagining Loss on the Pathway to Wholeness | Jeney Park-Hearn

From Crucible to Chalice: Reimagining Loss on the Pathway to Wholeness | Jeney Park-Hearn

From the 2024 Asian American Mental Health Conference "Intergenerational Wholeness for Asian Americans: Integrative Approaches to Christian Spiritual and Mental Health Formation." This lecture is by Jeney Park-Hearn, titled "From Crucible to Chalice: Reimagining Loss on the Pathway to Wholeness," recorded January 12, 2024. Find out more about the conference here: https://caac.ptsem.edu/events/2024-mental-health-conference/ Abstract: To tell the story of being Asian in America is difficult to imagine without mentioning loss. From the all-too-familiar accounts of immigration to our spirit’s yearning for belonging amidst alienation, our stories are laced with loss and manifold attempts to flee from the pain of grief. The good news of our living faith, however, comes with an invitation to lean into the strain of loss and to reimagine it as a beckoning towards a lifelong, communal, and redemptive process that attunes and pivots our whole being towards an experiential and more holistic “knowledge” of God.

Feb 15, 202442:47
Honoring, Owning, and Integrating our Asian American Identities | Jessica ChenFeng | 2024 Mental Health Conference

Honoring, Owning, and Integrating our Asian American Identities | Jessica ChenFeng | 2024 Mental Health Conference

From the 2024 Asian American Mental Health Conference "Intergenerational Wholeness for Asian Americans: Integrative Approaches to Christian Spiritual and Mental Health Formation." This lecture is by Dr. Jessica ChenFeng, titled "Honoring, Owning, and Integrating our Asian American Identities," recorded January 12, 2024. Find out more about the conference here: https://caac.ptsem.edu/events/2024-mental-health-conference/. Abstract: When we are part of families with a recent legacy of migration, we understand the desire to “forget what is behind” and “press toward the future.” In our desire to focus on the hopeful things ahead, we can often reject anything bad (past trauma, pain, grief, loss, shame, etc). In this plenary talk, we open-heartedly explore what it might look like to take an honest look at the “both-and”: the narratives of resilience, strength, and success alongside our family narratives of trauma, grief, and loss. How can we, in community, honor and own the fullness of our Asian American identities and legacies? Is it possible that in moving in the direction of courageously sitting with uncomfortable and dishonored histories that we can find freedom together to live life to the full?

Feb 09, 202444:07
Opening Remarks by David Chao | 2024 Mental Health Conference
Feb 03, 202419:60
Self-Understanding for Spiritual Formation feat. Jeney Park-Hearn | Dialogues Podcast
Jan 04, 202451:54
Asian American Spiritual Formation feat. Sharon Wada | Dialogues Podcast

Asian American Spiritual Formation feat. Sharon Wada | Dialogues Podcast

In this episode of the Dialogues Podcast, David C. Chao interviews Sharon Wada. Sharon is director of Sustainable Faith (https://sustainablefaith.com/), a collective of spiritual directors and pastors working to create a spiritually healthy culture among leaders and their communities, and is a workshop leader for the upcoming conference "Intergenerational Wholeness for Asian Americans: Integrative Approaches to Christian Spiritual and Mental Health Formation." David and Sharon discuss what spiritual formation is and why it is important for pastors and church leaders in the Asian American context.

Register for the conference here: https://caac.ptsem.edu/events/2024-mental-health-conference/#register.

Dec 22, 202301:01:52
K-Pop Matters feat. Eun Joo Kim | Dialogues in Asian American Theology & Ministry

K-Pop Matters feat. Eun Joo Kim | Dialogues in Asian American Theology & Ministry

This is a session in the series Dialogues in Asian American Theology and Ministry. Description: In recent years, there has been an incredible rise in recognition and popularity of Korean cultural contents, ranging from movies to beauty products to TV dramas and music/K-pop. This whole phenomenon, known as Hallyu, has been a fantastic journey for me to enjoy and engage with, especially as a 1.5-generation Korean American immigrant English Ministry pastor who grew up in the states in the 1970’s and 1980’s. But beyond its entertainment value, it has been a fertile source for reflection and exploration on how we, the church, can do better in our ministries with young people and beyond. K-pop matters, let me tell you how.

Dec 07, 202356:59
Migratory Loss and Intergenerational Family Life feat. Jessica ChenFeng | Dialogues Podcast

Migratory Loss and Intergenerational Family Life feat. Jessica ChenFeng | Dialogues Podcast

In this episode, David C. Chao interviews Jessica ChenFeng, Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Life at Fuller Theological Seminary. They discuss how migratory loss shapes the intergenerational family, the relationships between the first, second, and third generation. of immigrations, and the church at large.

Nov 15, 202301:03:02
A Gift to the Next Generation of Asian Americans feat. Sabrina Chan & E. David de Leon | Dialogues in Asian American Theology & Ministry

A Gift to the Next Generation of Asian Americans feat. Sabrina Chan & E. David de Leon | Dialogues in Asian American Theology & Ministry

In this episode, Dr. David Chao interviews Rev. Sabrina Chan and E. David de Leon to discuss the content of their book Learning Our Names: Asian American Christians on Identity, Relationships and Vocation. Written during the pandemic, this book brings together authors of different Asian American backgrounds to help young adults navigate their faith and identity. Chan and de Leon talk about their writing process and obstacles along the way as they came together with other Asian American authors to write this book.

Nov 07, 202348:28
Allen Yeh | Christianity as Mediator between Chinese and Chinese American Migration

Allen Yeh | Christianity as Mediator between Chinese and Chinese American Migration

This lecture was recorded on April 29, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference “Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US.” Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/. Introduction by Dr. Easten Law of Princeton Theological Seminary. Abstract: What does it mean to have an authentically Chinese perspective on life and the world? It is well-attested that many second-generation Chinese Americans take issue with their parents’ first-generation Chinese perspectives, and vice-versa. Although this can be attributable to age (e.g. 20th century vs. 21st century), and immigration (values of the “Old World” vs. the “New World”), it is also a function of the fact that the American categories of left, right, and center do not neatly fit within Chinese/Taiwanese political and cultural perspectives. This is where it becomes very confusing. How do we navigate and overcome these conflicting realities which are generational, cultural, and political in nature? Christianity offers some natural bridges with traditional Chinese culture, such as their mutual agreement on filial piety, honor/shame, and collectivism, as well as with Chinese American migrational reality of “strangers in exile.” Rather than simply a horizontal axis of “left” and “right,” a better spectrum would be a quadrant with horizontal and vertical axes reflecting not just politics but also generation/culture.

Aug 16, 202333:33
Kamalesh Stephen | Migration and Multiple Forms of Asian Indian Christian Belonging in the US

Kamalesh Stephen | Migration and Multiple Forms of Asian Indian Christian Belonging in the US

This lecture was recorded on April 29, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference "Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US." Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/. Introduction by Dr. Easten Law. Abstract: Migration is changing and revitalizing the religious and cultural landscape of the US. The mushrooming of places of worship by and for immigrants of every religious persuasion stands as an example of such a seismic change. The change of the US immigration laws in 1965 made it possible for Asian Indians to arrive in large numbers. Ethnic Asian Indian congregations formed by first-generation immigrants tried to recreate the worship experience of their home to find stability amid their disruptive and unsettling immigration experience. The second generation, who are born and raised in diasporic context, find the liturgy, worship, and preaching of first generation churches less suitable for their own spiritual experience and growth. The ongoing migration of Asian Indians to the US in parallel with the continued growth of the second generation results in a persistent tension between first and second generations as both generations seek fidelity to God with expressions of faith and worship that make sense for them.

Aug 09, 202327:36
Soojin Chung | Exiled Aliens: Korean American Christianity as the Basis of Liberation and Belonging

Soojin Chung | Exiled Aliens: Korean American Christianity as the Basis of Liberation and Belonging

This lecture was recorded on April 29, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference “Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US.” Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/. Introduction by Dr. Easten Law of Princeton Theological Seminary.

Abstract: When the first wave of Korean immigrants came to the United States from 1903 to 1949, they experienced multiple layers of marginality. Many had escaped the tumultuous political landscape in Korea as exiles during Japanese colonial rule. Simultaneously, the US government and American society deemed Asians unassimilable aliens unfit for membership in the US. For these “exiled aliens,” Christianity functioned as a source of liberation, democracy, and belonging. In this talk, we will examine Christianity’s role in the Korean independence movement and how today’s immigrant churches may reclaim their prophetic role in our society and culture. We will explore the story of Moses and how the deconstruction of his identity led to his sense of liberation and belonging, providing a precondition for his ministry. Just as Moses experienced quadruple displacement, Korean immigrant churches navigated liminal spaces as Christians, immigrants, and exiles.

Aug 03, 202330:41
David Chao | The 1517 Project and the Spirit of Post-Christendom Christianity: Migration and Formations of Asian American Christian Consciousness

David Chao | The 1517 Project and the Spirit of Post-Christendom Christianity: Migration and Formations of Asian American Christian Consciousness

This lecture was recorded on April 29, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference “Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US.” Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/. Introduction by Dr. Easten Law of Princeton Theological Seminary. Abstract: In 1517, Martin Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation and continued a “Christendom Project” to christianize European society. Less recognized, however, is the missio Dei and the Spirit of Christ moving across space since ancient times outside of Anglo-European languages and cultures. I dub the latter development “Post-Christendom Christianity.” Fast forward to the modern US context when the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act substantially repealed Chinese exclusion and simultaneously changed the face of US society. By extension, 1965 ushered in post-Christendom forms of Christianity from the majority world to the US. Rather than thinking in terms of Anglo-European formations of faith, which have naturalized doctrinal difference and similarity through various culture wars, US discourses about Christianity need new wineskins that make explicit the varying social formations of migrational Christianity from the majority world. I present a threefold formation of Asian American Christian consciousness as a post-Christendom way to understand the interplay of doctrine, practical reasoning, and identity formation.

Jul 27, 202331:06
David Chao | Opening Remarks to 2023 Asian American Theology Conference

David Chao | Opening Remarks to 2023 Asian American Theology Conference

These opening remarks were recorded on April 28, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference “Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US.” Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/.

Jul 20, 202318:58
Dr. Easten Law | Framing Asian American Discipleship Across Generations: Displacement, Migration, and Belonging in China and America

Dr. Easten Law | Framing Asian American Discipleship Across Generations: Displacement, Migration, and Belonging in China and America

This lecture was recorded on April 28, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference “Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US.” Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/. Introduction by Dr. David Chao of Princeton Theological Seminary.


Christian discipleship is defined as the deepening of one’s relationship with Christ and draws from biblical teachings in the context of a church community. This conception is true but inadequate. Discipleship programs generally exclude explicit engagement with the complexities of cultural heritage, family belonging, and migration that characterize Asian American experiences. Utilizing principles of lived theology, this presentation takes the arc of the biblical narrative as a foundation to imagine an expanded vision for Christian discipleship. This expanded account takes the multi-generational and multicultural stories of Asian American families as a fundamental starting point rather than a peripheral concern. The presentation will use the speaker’s own personal and family stories of migration across China, Taiwan, and the United States as a case study.

Jun 20, 202328:34
Dr. Shirley Lung | Taiwanese Churches in Diaspora and Ethnic Identity Formation

Dr. Shirley Lung | Taiwanese Churches in Diaspora and Ethnic Identity Formation

This lecture was recorded on April 28, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference “Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US.” Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/. Introduction by Dr. David Chao of Princeton Theological Seminary.

Abstract: Using ethnographic and interview data, this presentation explains Taiwanese ethnic identity formation in the United States and its endurance in the Taiwanese Christian and greater immigrant community. I argue that formative homeland events during periods of peak migration define and carve out ethnic boundaries, creating a time capsule-like effect for immigrants. For Taiwanese immigrants to the United States, peak migration between the 1960s and 1980s meant that dominant martial law era ethnic boundaries were transplanted from Taiwan to the wider community of “Sinophone” or sinetic language-speaking Christians. Today, the time capsule effect persists, and those ethnic boundaries continue to shape social relations within the same transnational Taiwanese Christian networks.

Jun 01, 202328:52
Dr. Gabriel J. Catanus | Multiple Un-Belongings: Filipino American Theology and the Problem of Home

Dr. Gabriel J. Catanus | Multiple Un-Belongings: Filipino American Theology and the Problem of Home

This lecture was recorded on April 28, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference “Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US.” Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/. Introduction by Dr. David Chao of Princeton Theological Seminary. Abstract: After centuries of colonial violence, Filipino American identity and Christianity are characterized by experiences of un-belonging. This un-belonging manifests in ways that are pastorally and ecclesially significant, as US Filipinos negotiate Christian faith with increasing distance from the Philippines itself. To theologize and minister with Filipino American churches, then, is to labor in “home construction,” as the idea of home is continuously contested and reconceived.

May 25, 202330:23
Dr. David Moe | The Hidden Stories of Burmese American Christianity

Dr. David Moe | The Hidden Stories of Burmese American Christianity

This lecture was recorded on April 28, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference “Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US.” Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/. Introduction by Dr. David Chao of Princeton Theological Seminary. Abstract: Burmese immigrants are relatively recent arrivals to the US. Their stories are hidden and are not widely mentioned in the academic discourses about Asian American Christianity and theology. Using an integrative methodology of ethnographic interviews and literature, I will explore the hidden and lived stories of Burmese American Christians and their imagination of religious, ethnic, and ecclesial identities. Particular attention will be paid to the grassroots ethnic minority Christians, such as Chin, Kachin, Karen, Lisu, and other minority groups. We will consider questions such as, “How do they imagine their religious, ethnic, and ecclesial identities?,” “Do they share a united or conflictual imagination of their identities?,” and “How do they relate their faith to American politics and Christian nationalism?” This paper reimagines a migrational theology of Burmese religious, ethnic, and ecclesial identities that embody God’s trinitarian mission with the multicultural context of the US.

May 18, 202323:03
Dr. Jane Hong | How Post-1965 Migration Changed US Christianity

Dr. Jane Hong | How Post-1965 Migration Changed US Christianity

This lecture was recorded on April 28, 2023, as part of the 2023 Asian American Theology Conference “Multiple Belongings in Transpacific Christianities: Christian Faith and Asian Migration to the US.” Find out more about the conference here: https://pts.events/events/aat-2023-mbtc/. Introduction by Dr. David Chao of Princeton Theological Seminary.

The 1965 Immigration Act transformed the demographics of US migration, flipping new arrivals from up to 90% European to majority Asian and Latine/x. The law greatly diversified Asian America, as skilled migrants and their families arriving under the 1965 law joined refugees fleeing Southeast Asia after 1975. Post-1965 Asian America, unlike earlier communities shaped by restrictive nation-based quotas and racial exclusion, encompassed several dozen nationality groups and ethnicities, languages, and creeds. Framed broadly, the new Asian migrants remade historically white Christian institutions and organizations, challenging normative categories and assumptions about Christian faith and practice. Within Asian America, new migration multiplied and rejuvenated ethnic churches even as it raised new questions about what the future of these churches would look like across differences of generation, language, and theology.

May 04, 202328:47
William Yoo | African Americans, Asian Americans, and the Histories of Slavery and Racism within the Presbyterian Church and Princeton Theological Seminary

William Yoo | African Americans, Asian Americans, and the Histories of Slavery and Racism within the Presbyterian Church and Princeton Theological Seminary

As an historian who also studies Asian American Christianity, William Yoo makes connections between the histories of anti-Black racism and anti-Asian hate within and beyond the Presbyterian Church. He engages the fraught relationships between some African American and Asian American communities and offers a pathway toward racial justice that accounts for historic sins and addresses ongoing challenges in theological education and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).


Apr 27, 202342:02
Daniel Lee | Being Asian American Theologically

Daniel Lee | Being Asian American Theologically

This is a session in the series Dialogues in Asian American Theology and Ministry, recorded on March 7, 2023. In this presentation, Dr. Lee proposes a critical vocation for Asian American churches beyond cultural and social expressions—namely, being Asian American theologically. Without receiving and owning this core calling, Asian American churches too easily fall into the temptation to be merely a community center, squandering our unique and crucial place in American Christianity. Being Asian American theologically involves an interdisciplinary task that is dynamic and fluid, always attending to the movement and work of God in our communities.

Mar 24, 202301:26:28
Melissa Borja | Follow the New Way: How American Refugee Resettlement Policies Changed Hmong Religious Life

Melissa Borja | Follow the New Way: How American Refugee Resettlement Policies Changed Hmong Religious Life

In the United States, the government has long depended on Christian organizations to aid and resettle refugees. Over the past half century, however, incoming refugees have been increasingly non-Christian and more religiously and racially diverse. How has the American refugee resettlement system adapted to these new religious circumstances, and how have non-Christian refugees experienced a resettlement system dominated by Christian organizations? Focusing on the case of Hmong refugees, this talk will show how American refugee resettlement policies transformed the religious lives of refugees, despite sincere efforts by both government and resettlement agencies to respect religious differences and put ideals of religious pluralism into practice.

Mar 16, 202356:22
Charles Choe | Challenges, Transitions, and Opportunities in the 2nd-Generation Asian-American Church

Charles Choe | Challenges, Transitions, and Opportunities in the 2nd-Generation Asian-American Church

In this presentation, Pastor Charles Choe of Tapestry LA Church will discuss how second generation Asian American churches can navigate their unique challenges, transitions, and opportunities. Join us as we learn about finding our identity as Asian American and Christian in the midst of many competing voices, as well as how one church has taken its missional calling in the city seriously.

Mar 09, 202352:53
Gabriel J. Catanus | The Pastor as Patient and Agent

Gabriel J. Catanus | The Pastor as Patient and Agent

Pastors and ministry leaders nowadays find themselves under overwhelming pressure. Especially in Asian American and immigrant communities, pastors are expected to lead and preach prophetically, educate as in-house experts, care for and counsel people towards healing, grow our ministries with limited resources, and model Christian maturity in our contexts. It’s a lot! Meanwhile, spiritual leaders must also receive care, tending to their own wounds and needs as persons. In this workshop, we reflect on the pastor as a recipient of mental health services, demonstrating how receiving care helps to ground ethics and clarify pastoral responsibility.

Mar 03, 202339:10
David Wang | Research and Practice on the Care of Christian Leaders Who Have Been Wounded in the Ministry Context

David Wang | Research and Practice on the Care of Christian Leaders Who Have Been Wounded in the Ministry Context

Most of us who have served in various ministry capacities (e.g., as pastors, missionaries, lay church leaders, etc.…) are intimately familiar with the potential dark realities of the ministry environment.  Empirical research confirms that ministry is indeed often a difficult endeavor, imposing significant stress upon our spiritual life, our marital and family relationships, and our own emotional and physical well-being.  Often, those who need counseling and care the most are Christian leaders who, over the course of their ministry journey, have been deeply wounded by fellow Christians, finding themselves now downtrodden, burnt out, isolated, misjudged, and discouraged.  In such cases, how does one go about engaging the process of healing?  This workshop will present practical and research-informed considerations and recommendations in the care of Christian leaders who have been emotionally wounded by the ministry context, with special attention placed on the experiences of Asian-American church leaders.

Feb 23, 202340:25
Migum Gweon | The Art of Saying No

Migum Gweon | The Art of Saying No

As Asian Americans church leaders, we often struggle with saying no to others’ requests. In addition to pressures and expectations, the Asian culture of sacrifice is palpable. And regardless of whether we say yes or no, we often suffer the emotional and physical consequences of our decisions. Using a mental health framework, this workshop helps us experience emotional grounding that brings clarity to the discernment process and empower us to say no when we need to.

Feb 16, 202348:31
Roy Kim | Ministering to Victims of Infidelity

Roy Kim | Ministering to Victims of Infidelity

When Asian-American church leaders discover that a congregant has experienced sexual or emotional betrayal, it’s hard to know how to respond well. It’s common to freeze, or to try to problem-solve. Worse, the mind can quickly go to protecting the church from shame or scandal. Tragically, these common responses do great damage to the victim of infidelity. Even to the point of apostasy. This workshop unpacks the experience of the victim, explains why certain responses are unhelpful, and provides concrete steps for you to minister to the victim’s bleeding heart, to the glory of God.

Feb 09, 202341:02
Jess Cho Kim | Mental Health Ministry in the Asian American Church

Jess Cho Kim | Mental Health Ministry in the Asian American Church

Asian Americans have the lowest rates of mental health service use despite struggling with mental health disorders, trauma, substance use, and suicide. Instead, we often look to the church for support. Pastors and lay leaders often feel unequipped to respond to these overwhelming needs. What is the role of the Asian American church in addressing our national mental health crisis, post-pandemic? This plenary explores what mental health ministry in Asian American church spaces can look like, and help us better understand why we cannot ignore this any longer.

Feb 02, 202346:57
Jessica ChenFeng | The Pursuit of Asian American Happiness

Jessica ChenFeng | The Pursuit of Asian American Happiness

Asian Americans share a collective experience of leaving one country in pursuit (sometimes forced) of a new life in a new land. How has this journey shaped our experience of ourselves, our families, communities, and our faith? This plenary  explores the broader canvas of Asian American history, racialization, and identity to allow for a more nuanced understanding of our individual and collective well-being.

Jan 26, 202341:32
Cut to the Deep: Becoming Indian American Christian

Cut to the Deep: Becoming Indian American Christian

“Can we be Indian and Christian? What are the challenges that Asian American Christians face to become who they are? What do we need to unlearn and learn? Join our conversation with Dr. Ashish Varma and what it means for him to become an Indian American Christian.”

Dec 29, 202256:53
Freedom? A Conversation about Incarceration and Being Asian in the US

Freedom? A Conversation about Incarceration and Being Asian in the US

Billy Taing and Diane Ujiiye, Co-Directors of API RISE, invite you into conversation about humanizing sisters, brothers, and siblings who have endured war, poverty, refugee camps, and the “crimmigration” system. Join them in learning about counteracting stigma and the shame of being incarcerated and undocumented.

Nov 22, 202201:24:25
Trends in US Christianity: How many Asian American churches are there?

Trends in US Christianity: How many Asian American churches are there?

Join us for a conversation with Prof. Jerry Park (Baylor) for a conversation about demographic trends on Christianity in the US and how this shapes the future of the church and theological education in the US.

Nov 17, 202244:25
Paul Lim | Asian American Church History and Young Nak Presbyterian Church

Paul Lim | Asian American Church History and Young Nak Presbyterian Church

Join this conversation with Professor Paul Lim as we discuss baseball, mentoring, Asian American church history, and Young Nak Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.

Oct 10, 202201:05:53
Dr. Carrie Myers | Cultivating Asian American Spiritual Formation

Dr. Carrie Myers | Cultivating Asian American Spiritual Formation

We share this presentation by Dr. Carrie Myers for the Asian American Theology and Ministry Colloquium titled “Cultivating Asian American Spiritual Formation.” Come learn about the stages of faith and how to overcome “the wall” that blocks our spiritual growth in Christ.

Oct 03, 202257:12
Christina Edmondson | The High Cost of Solidarity
Aug 29, 202245:58
Hyepin Im | The Model Minority Myth and Racial Solidarity
Aug 15, 202246:37
Jonathan Tran | Racial Capitalist Aftermarkets: LA Riots or LA Uprising?
Aug 01, 202242:48
Panel Discussion | Hope from Ashes: Legacies and Lessons from the Los Angeles Riots Conference
Jul 18, 202259:57
Russell Jeung | The Educational Squid Game

Russell Jeung | The Educational Squid Game

Dr. Russell Jeung likens the American educational system to competitions portrayed in the popular Netflix show Squid Game. In this cutthroat and costly environment, disadvantaged communities are pitted against each other for the benefit of the few. Instead, Dr. Jeung proposes a scriptural movement wherein this zero sum competition is replaced by a commitment to equity and common interest.

Jul 11, 202238:18
Kathryn Gin Lum | Heathen: Religion and Race in American History
Jul 04, 202248:43
Jane Hong | When and Where We Enter: Reframing How We Talk about 1992
Jun 27, 202240:02
Welcome Session | Hope From Ashes: Legacies and Lessons from the Los Angeles Riots Conference.
Jun 20, 202217:46
Samuel Kim | Active Listening Skills for Congregational Change
Apr 25, 202253:13
Jonathan Tran | Yellow Christianity

Jonathan Tran | Yellow Christianity

Dr. Jonathan Tran's public lecture on April 8, 2022 titled "Yellow Christianity" continues themes from his book, Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism (Oxford University Press, 2022). Dr. Tran, Associate Professor of Philosophical Theology at Baylor University, develops an account of “yellow” politics and Christianity that begins with particular sites of racial capitalist oppression and domination and pushes toward liberative coalitional politics. He also discusses recent cases of anti-AAPI violence and their historical antecedents, liberation theology’s attention to local and transnational sources of oppressive domination, and how “yellow Christianity” offers a way forward.

The Center for Asian American Christianity is a thought leader in the areas of Asian American theology and ministry. We curate a forward-thinking conversation about the issues confronting Asian American churches. Learn more about the Center for Asian American Christianity at ltiaa.com.

Apr 12, 202238:47
Eunbee Ham | Growing Together: Cultivating Healthy Communities through Conflict Resolution

Eunbee Ham | Growing Together: Cultivating Healthy Communities through Conflict Resolution

January 24, 2022 | Mental Health and Asian Americans: Contexts and Strategies for Faith Leaders  

Conflict can be a healthy and essential part of community growth, but it takes time, training, and practice to handle conflict in ways that help deepen interpersonal empathy and understanding. Particularly during the pandemic when stress levels are high, divisions are rampant, and emotional coping skills are strained, conflicts can have a huge impact on our mental health and quality of life. In this workshop, Rev. Dr. Eunbee Ham draws on her training as a Marriage and Family Therapist and pastoral experience navigating conflict from an antiracist lens to help participants identify successful conflict resolution tools and skills, cultivate antiracist values intentionally in conflict resolution processes, and practice ways to utilize conflict resolution skills in real life situations.  

Speaker: Rev. Dr. Eunbee Ham, pastor, Davis Community Church  

The newly expanded Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary comes at a critical time in the life of Asian America. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial-ethnic demographic in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the persistence of anti-Asian racism. Moreover, minority and immigrant churches are poised to transform the face of Christianity in the United States in the next few decades. The Center for Asian American Christianity seeks to equip and empower the next generation of Asian American leaders for service in church, society, and academy.

Learn more about the Center for Asian American Christianity at https://www.ptsem.edu/academics/center-for-asian-american-christianity

To view the conference blog, visit https://ltiaa.com/blog/

Apr 11, 202201:00:17
Helen Jin Kim | One Year After Atlanta: Race, Empire, and American Evangelicalism

Helen Jin Kim | One Year After Atlanta: Race, Empire, and American Evangelicalism

On March 28, 2022, Dr. Helen Jin Kim, Associate Professor of American Religious History at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, presented at the fourth Asian American Theology and Ministry Colloquium at Princeton Theological Seminary of this academic year. Dr. Kim discusses first what it means to recast the history of modern evangelical America by turning toward the Pacific and Asian America; second, the significance of such a project in light of the resurgence of anti-Asian violence, including the Atlanta spa shootings; and third, how to steward our gifts as AAPI students. 

The Center for Asian American Christianity is a thought leader in the areas of Asian American theology and ministry. We curate a forward-thinking conversation about the issues confronting Asian American churches. Learn more about the Center for Asian American Christianity at ltiaa.com.

Apr 04, 202257:26
Joel Jin | Pastoring a Congregation of Whole People, not Perfect People

Joel Jin | Pastoring a Congregation of Whole People, not Perfect People

January 24, 2022 | Mental Health and Asian Americans: Contexts and Strategies for Faith Leaders  

Asian American Christians can struggle with the experience of not feeling good enough. They perceive a gap between where they ideally ought to be and where they actually are. Across their personal, professional, and even spiritual lives, there is a tendency to expect perfection yet fall short of it. In turn, we might present ourselves as perfect, never offering ourselves the opportunity for care and healing. Although setting standards for ourselves is healthy, we are burdened when we feel like we constantly fall short of them. Dr. Jin’s workshop equips church leaders to support Asian American Christians in becoming more whole people, not perfect people. We learn about different types of perfectionism and how this applies to Asian American Christians. We discuss practical strategies from the pulpit to pastoral counseling.  

Speaker: Dr. Joel Jin, assistant professor of clinical psychology, Seattle Pacific University  

The newly expanded Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary comes at a critical time in the life of Asian America. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial-ethnic demographic in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the persistence of anti-Asian racism. Moreover, minority and immigrant churches are poised to transform the face of Christianity in the United States in the next few decades. The Center for Asian American Christianity seeks to equip and empower the next generation of Asian American leaders for service in church, society, and academy.

Learn more about the Center for Asian American Christianity at https://www.ptsem.edu/academics/center-for-asian-american-christianity

To view the conference blog, visit https://ltiaa.com/blog/

Mar 28, 202252:48
Jin Lee | Mental Health and Spirituality: Know the Difference and Help Accordingly
Mar 14, 202257:43
Janette Ok | Preaching as Asian Americans

Janette Ok | Preaching as Asian Americans

On February 24, 2022, Dr. Janette Ok, Associate Professor of New Testament at Fuller Seminary, presented at the third Asian American Theology and Ministry Colloquium at Princeton Theological Seminary of this year. Dr. Ok asks, What does it mean to preach in a way that reflects being Asian American? Is there such a thing as a distinctly Asian American voice and presence at the pulpit? This conversation explores possibilities for how to engage biblical interpretation as a contextual and liberative practice that interacts with Asian American identity. We consider how preaching can speak to the concrete needs and gifts of Asian American churches in ways that reflect the complexities, specificities, and pluralities of Asian American Christian experience.

The Center for Asian American Christianity is a thought leader in the areas of Asian American theology and ministry. We curate a forward-thinking conversation about the issues confronting Asian American churches. Learn more about the Center for Asian American Christianity at ltiaa.com.

Mar 07, 202250:20