Welcome to the CAAC podcast! In this episode, David Chao, Director of the Center for Asian American Christianity, and co-host Josh Livingston, Program Manager at CAAC, sit down with Dr. Chloe Sun, Professor of Old Testament and Program Director of the Chinese Study Center at Fuller Seminary. They discuss Chloe’s book, Attempt Great Things for God: Theological Education in Diaspora, exploring the significance of diaspora in theological education, Chloe’s personal migration story, and the necessity of diverse voices in enriching theological discourse. Delve into this thought-provoking conversation about the significance of using one’s heart language to study theology and how migration shapes faith and education!

Photo by Bundo Kim on Unsplash

This presentation by Dr. Daniel Lee, titled “Family and the Bible,” was recorded on October 7, 2025. The lecture is part of the 2025 conference “Biblical Theology in Asian America: Family, Migration, and Divine Presence,” presented by the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary and co-hosted with Fuller Theological Seminary’s Chinese Studies Center. You can learn more about this conference here: https://ptsem.edu/academics/centers/center-for-asian-american-christianity/btiaa2025/.

This lecture is a response to Dr. Roger Nam’s lecture “Family, Migration, and Economic Survival in the Hebrew Bible: What If ‘Honor Your Father’ Isn’t the Whole Story?,” Dr. Chloe Sun’s lecture “Between Wrestling and Blessing: Jacob and his Messy Family,” and Jessica ChenFeng’s lecture “Relating to the Internal and Relational Wrestlings of Bible Characters: Jacob’s Family in Context.” You can find the recordings here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxGLEaf5FKyHCuImKVmKQRkjPTC67D5gK&si=KJWHpK74BbUmyAKk

Time Stamps

00:49 Introducing Dr. Daniel D. Lee

02:35 Reading Scripture with an Asian American Lens

04:11 The Role of Family in Theology

06:13 The Doctrine of Scripture and Illumination

08:09 Wrestling with God: A Covenantal Relationship

12:00 Empathy and Understanding in Asian American Context

22:02 Family and Migration: The Asian American Experience

25:42 Racialization and Family Values

38:13 Critical Awareness in Reading Scripture

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

This presentation by Dr. Jessica ChenFeng, LMFT, titled “Relating to the Internal and Relational Wrestlings of Bible Characters: Jacob’s Family in Context,” was recorded on October 7, 2025. The lecture is part of the 2025 conference “Biblical Theology in Asian America: Family, Migration, and Divine Presence,” presented by the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary and co-hosted with Fuller Theological Seminary’s Chinese Studies Center. You can learn more about this conference here: https://ptsem.edu/academics/centers/center-for-asian-american-christianity/btiaa2025/.

Description: “We each grew up with a relationship to characters of the Bible: which character was someone to emulate? Who was not the ideal model for a leader, a parent, or spouse? These assessments can sometimes parallel the way our families talked about relatives or community members: the good daughter who takes care of her parents, the terrible church elder who squandered money or the faithful pastor who sacrifices so much. In this presentation, we consider Jacob’s family system: intergenerational and gendered hopes, betrayal, alignment and rejection that allow us opportunities to connect with their contextual realities and curiosities for our own Asian American Christian lives today. We will consider the complex nuances of Bible characters beyond the one-dimensional individual perspectives of their personhood and behaviors.

“This presentation will invite attendees to reconsider our assessments (judgements) of Bible characters and increase our empathy (of others and self) through understanding Jacob’s family with a sociocontextual and relational lens. It will highlight relationships in context, reflecting on dynamics of rupture and opportunities for repair.”

Jessica ChenFeng, PhD, LMFT is an associate professor of marriage and family therapy at Fuller Theological Seminary. She has been a practicing MFT for almost 20 years and consults with academic, healthcare and church organizations to improve the well-being of people within their relationships and communities. She is the director of Fuller’s Asian American Well-being Collaboratory. Her research, clinical and community work center around Asian American identities/relationships, generation, trauma, and Christian spirituality. She resides in the greater Los Angeles area with her spouse and two children. Whenever she gets the chance, she loves reconnecting with her love for analogue: paper planners and stationery, baking, and sewing.

Time Stamps:

00:51 Introducing Dr. Jessica ChenFeng

02:11 Dr. ChenFeng’s Personal Journey and Calling

04:24 Exploring Wellbeing and Belonging

06:11 Engaging with Bible Characters in Context

12:25 Intergenerational Impacts and Personal Stories

19:44 Understanding Relationships and Systems

23:57 Empathy and Complexity in Relationships

35:17 Conclusion: Pursuing Fullness of Life

Photo by Dilip Poddar on Unsplash

This presentation by Dr. Chloe Sun, titled “Between Wrestling and Blessing: Jacob and his Messy Family,” was recorded on October 7, 2025. The lecture is part of the 2025 conference “Biblical Theology in Asian America: Family, Migration, and Divine Presence,” presented by the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary and co-hosted with Fuller Theological Seminary’s Chinese Studies Center. You can learn more about this conference here: https://ptsem.edu/academics/centers/center-for-asian-american-christianity/btiaa2025/.

Description: This presentation examines Jacob’s family dynamics, including his experience as a migrant and its impact on his social location as an ethnic minority within a dominant culture, his ongoing struggles with his brother, his relationships with his elder sons, and his daughter Dinah. It also explores generational patterns such as parental favoritism, sibling rivalry, barrenness, and fatherly passivity. Additionally, it highlights how God’s election of Jacob and Jacob’s mediation of God’s blessings show that even amidst family chaos, grace and purpose can be found. The presentation aims to illustrate that despite the complexity of many Asian American families, there is hope for reconciliation and for God’s purposes to be fulfilled.

Chloe T. Sun is Professor of Old Testament and the Program Director of the Chinese Studies Center at Fuller Seminary. She previously taught at Logos Evangelical Seminary in Los Angeles. She publishes in both Chinese and English and conducts Bible seminars locally and internationally in Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Europe. Her recent English publications include Attempt Great Things for God: Theological Education in Diaspora (Eerdmans, 2020), Conspicuous in His Absence: Studies in the Song of Songs and Esther (IVP Academic, 2021), and Exodus, A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary (Langham, 2024).

Time Stamps

00:37 Introducing Dr. Chloe Sun

01:44 Jacob’s Family in Genesis

03:10 Sibling Rivalry and Divine Favoritism

04:47 Migration and Identity

05:02 Jacob’s Identity

10:16 Jacob’s Migration Experiences

18:25 Jacob as a Father

28:04 Divine Blessing and Reconciliation

35:49 Conclusion: Family Dynamics and Divine Presence

Photo by Salah Regouane on Unsplash

This presentation by Dr. Roger Nam, titled “Family, Migration, and Economic Survival in the Hebrew Bible: What If ‘Honor Your Father’ Isn’t the Whole Story?” was recorded on October 7, 2025. The lecture is part of the 2025 conference “Biblical Theology in Asian America: Family, Migration, and Divine Presence,” presented by the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary and co-hosted with Fuller Theological Seminary’s Chinese Studies Center. You can learn more about this conference here: https://ptsem.edu/academics/centers/center-for-asian-american-christianity/btiaa2025/.

Description: “This opening talk situates the Hebrew Bible’s complex family stories—sibling rivalries, migration journeys, and household economies—within their ancient Near Eastern context. These narratives emerged not from abstract theology but from lived realities of cultural displacement. For Asian American communities navigating filial expectations, generational rifts, and economic pressure, these biblical dynamics feel strikingly familiar—and at times, deeply subversive. This session frames the day’s conversations by offering historical grounding and interpretive tools for reading family and faith with greater depth.”

Roger S. Nam, PhD is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Emory University/Candler School of Theology. His scholarship bridges Hebrew Bible and ancient Near Eastern history, with a focus on how economic and social realities shaped biblical texts and communities. He is the author of multiple books, most recently, The Theology of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Cambridge University Press, 2024). Before entering academia, he served as a pastor in Seoul, Korea and worked as a financial analyst in the Silicon Valley. This year marks his 18th year as a professor in theological education.

Time Stamps:

00:37 Introducing Dr. Roger Nam

01:39 Dr. Nam’s Unconventional Journey

02:38 Family and Migration in Ancient Israel

04:44 Parallels Between Ancient Israel and Asian America

08:00 The Migration Experience of Abraham

24:12 Economic Survival in Ancient Israel

30:15 Family Life and Honor in Ancient Israel

31:55 The Bible Through an Asian American Lens

35:57 Conclusion: Let the Bible Read You

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In this episode of the Center for Asian American Christianity Podcast, host David Chao sits down with Dr. David C. Wang (ThM, PhD), the Cliff and Joyce Penner Chair for the Formation of Emotionally Healthy Leaders at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Wang discusses the Global Formation Project, a multi-phase research initiative on spiritual maturity and formation that started in 2015. The conversation delves into the relationship between theological education and spiritual maturity, the impact of knowing oneself in spiritual growth, and the integration of psychological insights into spiritual practices. They also explore innovative practices in theological pedagogy, particularly the use of intergenerational panels and mapping of family trees in church settings to address intergenerational trauma and promote holistic formation. The episode highlights the importance of acknowledging both beauty and brokenness in the journey towards spiritual maturity.

This lecture by Sherry Thomas, JD, was recorded on June 7, 2025, at Seven Mile Road Church in Philadelphia, PA, at the conference “Our Story, Our Faith: South Asian American Christian Histories and Futures” (June 6–7, 2025). You can learn more about this conference here: https://ourstoriesourfaith.org/philly25/. View the plenary video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FpO9YtAICc.

Plenary description: This lecture will explore how South Asians, including South Asian Christians, came to “belong” in the United States, through the lens of landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases and legislation that both closed and opened doors to South Asian Christians. It will provide insight into why the South Asian Christian immigrant experience looked the way it did and how it continues to evolve as the country grapples with its relationship to race and religion.

View PBS’s video referenced at 24:02 of the video version (cut out of audio podcast due to copyright): https://youtu.be/0qggeLf4x-s?si=GGUf0z9rwBr3wvnv.

Check out Sherry Thomas’s oral history project with SAADA: https://www.saada.org/exhibit/philadelphia/malayali-story.

Sherry Thomas is Kerala born and Philadelphia raised. She completed her B.A. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Temple University. She is passionate about issues of social and economic justice and currently combines both in her career as a public interest lawyer. She focuses her work on tenants’ rights, defense and eviction prevention with the Legal Clinic for the Disabled (LCD), as its Director of Housing and Habitability and has also worked as a Legal Fellow and legal consultant for International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organization partnering with local justice systems to end violence against people living in poverty.

Sherry grew up in the Marthoma Church in a tight knit Malayali community in Philadelphia. She was always interested in the ways the church could be instrumental in bridging gaps between cultures and generations. Her experiences informed her work with the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA). Through SAADA, she preserved some stories of Malayali Christians living and working in Philadelphia, over several generations, which culminated in the publication of her project, “The Philadelphia Malayali Story: Decades in the Making.”

In this episode, David Chao hosts children’s literature author Marie Chan to discuss her 2024 book, Mamie Takes a Stand. They explore the power of storytelling in the Asian American church and how historical narratives can catalyze contemporary mental health conversations. Marie shares the meticulous research behind her book and the historical significance of Mamie Tape’s legal struggle to attend public school. Listen in on this engaging discussion about cultural heritage, resilience, and the transformative impact of sharing personal stories.

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In this episode, David Chao, director of the Center for Asian American Christianity (CAAC), hosts a probing conversation with KimyiBo, the 2024-2025 Artist-in-Residence at the Overseas Ministry Study Center (OMSC) at Princeton Theological Seminary. They explore KimyiBo’s journey from Korea to the United States, Europe, and back to Korea, and how her experiences and faith have shaped her art. KimyiBo shares her reflections on motherhood, cultural identity, and the role of art in social change and personal healing. Join us for a deep dive into the powerful intersections of art, faith, and identity.

Image by KimyiBo, “A Tree Planted by Streams of Water,” 2000, woodblock print on paper, 15.5 × 13 in.

In this episode, David Chao introduces Chrislyn Choo, an artist and storyteller passionate about exploring family history and roots. Chrislyn shares her journey of discovering her ancestry and the transformative power of storytelling. They discuss her involvement with projects like My China Roots and the Parents Are Human Project, her experiences in reconnecting with her heritage, and how story work can bridge intergenerational gaps and aid in healing trauma. Join us for a profound discussion on the spiritual and emotional impact of storytelling within the Asian American community.

Photo by Jess English: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-weaving-red-threads-10253080/