Dialogues in Asian American Theology and Ministry Podcast

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.

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?

This lecture is from the 2024 Mental Health Conference "Intergenerational Wholeness for Asian Americans: Integrative Approaches to Christian Spiritual and Mental Health Formation." Opening remarks by David Chao, recorded on January 12, 2024. Find out more about the conference here: https://caac.ptsem.edu/events/2024-mental-health-conference/.

In this episode of the Dialogues Podcast, David C. Chao interviews Jeney Park-Hearn, Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Formation at Portland Seminary. David and Jeney discuss the importance of awareness of the self within familial, community, historical, and sociological contexts for a holistic understanding of God and for spiritual formation. Dr. Park-Hearn will be a plenary speaker for the upcoming conference "Intergenerational Wholeness for Asian Americans: Integrative Approaches to Christian Spiritual and Mental Health Formation." Register for the conference here: https://caac.ptsem.edu/events/2024-mental-health-conference/#register.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.