A Lived Theology SPRING 2004 INSIDE GRADUATE’S WORK FOCUSES on FAITH and IDENTITY
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GTUCurren ts N E W S OF THE GR A D U A T E T H E O L OGICAL UNION A Lived Theology SPRING 2004 INSIDE GRADUATE’S WORK FOCUSES ON FAITH AND IDENTITY For Uria h Kim, May 2004 marked a new tra nsition: gra dua ting from the GTU with a Ph. D .in Biblical Studies, and preparing to move east for his new position as assista nt professo r of Hebrew Bible at Cani sius College in Buff a lo,NY .Kim’s story refl ects a series of such changes and life- tra nsforma tions, as he exp lores what it means to be a perso n of fa ith, a scholar,a teacher,and an Asian - A m erican. Born to a Buddh i st fami ly in Korea, he came to the Uni ted Sta tes at the age of 10 and converted to Chr istian i ty at 18.Kim was struggling at the time with exi stentia l questions about mora lity and death that he could not reso lve thr ough Buddh i sm. He was also FROM THE PRESIDENT 2 trying to understa nd what it is to be “‘ a hyphenated being.’Am I a Korean living in the Uni ted Sta tes, ”he exp lains, “or an Am erican wh o happens to be Korean, or somethi ng else ? ” In Chr istian i ty Kim MATSUOKA ON PLURALISM 3 foun d a reso lution to his centra l concerns, both about salvation and about his own identity. Kim had many more changes ahead of him . He went to engineering ASIAN THEOLOGIES AT THE GTU 3 sc hool first, then switched to phi loso phy.After gra dua ting from New York Uni versity,he enr olled in Princeton Theological Semi nary,intending to work in a parish. He earned his M.Div.from Princeton, and a Th . M .( m agna cum laude) from Emory Uni versity. COMMENCEMENT 2004 4-5 When the 1992 Los Angeles riots took place, Kim foun d that his faith jour ney was shi fting again. As he saw it, the Korean immi gr a nt chur ches weren’t able to respond eff ectively to the crisis, reacting in a more insular way.“As second- g enera tion Koreans, I felt we needed to formulate a ETHICS AND theology that could respond coherently to situa tions lik e the riots , ”he says. Kim went into doctora l PUBLIC LIFE LECTURE 7 work so that he could contribute to such a theology. Dra wn to the GTU by its interdisc i plinary approach and the depth and diversity of the faculty,he IRAQ PROPOSAL WINS AWARD 7 was also ,he admit s , impresse d by its location overlooking the San Fra ncis c o Bay.Kim’s doctora l work culmi nated in a disse rta tion exp loring the need to newly interpret the Hebrew Bible to Photos : readers in their local contexts toda y,particularly in Asian - A m erican context s . “How can we read Mistie Shaw (M.A. ’0 4 ) , Timothy Baba lis the Bible, ”he asks , “by bringing in our exp erience and our history,ra ther than leaving them at the (Ph . D . ’04) and Rachel Ann Metheny (Ph. D .’0 4 ) door? ” PS R's Jeff rey Ku an ,w ho was Kim's adviso r dur ing his doctora l work, comments that he is “one of the finest students we have had in the last 10 years. ”Kim's academi c achie v ement was recogni z ed by the Fun d for Theological Education ,w h ich gra nted him thr ee years of fi nanci a l support. He also received a Newh all Award and a Presidentia l Scholarshi p from the GTU. His time at the GTU has been rich both inside the classroom and in the commun i ty; he has been active in local chur ches and organi z a tions such as PSR’s PAN A Institute, and has taught ext ensively Founded in 1962,the Gradua te Theological at SFT S and PSR. His wife Crysta l and he are raising two chi ldren, Hope and Ad am ,w ho are eig ht Union educates women and men in and four . theological scholarship and church Kim’s futur e colleagues and students are sur e to encoun ter a professo r whose love of the subject leadership. The GTU seeks to tea ch mat t er will off er them new perspectives that conn ect scholarshi p to their life context s . Teachi ng,he has learned, is his true calling.“When you see students gra sping a complex idea, it’s really fun , ”he patterns of faith that nurture justice and sa ys. “The respect and aff ection that dev elop betw een students and teacher is very meani ngful. ” peace,and to equip leaders for a world of Uriah Kim’s remarks at the 2004 commencement,“Knowledge and Jeong on Holy Hill,” can be read diverse religions and cultures. at www.gtu.edu/lect_other.php GTUCurren ts Currents presents the news, people, and progress of the Graduate Theological Union. Published three times a year, Currents is distributed to alumni, Dear GTU Community, faculty,students, staff, and friends of the GTU. “What are the skills that will be essential for the theological and religious leaders of tomor- row?”This is one of the main questions I have posed to the GTU community as we develop a President: James A. Donahue strategic focus for our future. I believe that these skills must include: Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs: • The skill of dialogue: the capacity to speak and to listen well,to empathize, to under Arthur G. Holder stand, to relate, and to cross over. Vice President for Advancement: Jane E. Whitfield • The ability to bridge differences: to identify common goals and goods in order to Vice President for Finance and Administration: Steven G. Argyris create bonds between people with opposing views, and to encourage understanding across Christian denominations and other religious traditions. Library Director: Bonnie Hardwick Currents Editor: Damaris Moore • Community building skills: to bring people together in search of new forms of support and mutual understanding. Editorial Assistant: Jenny Veninga Photos: Dana Davis • Knowledge of history and traditions: to understand the past, because the future will depend on creative and critical appropriations of history and traditions. We welcome your feedback! • Knowledge of practices: to understand the practical realities of religious life and Please send comments, story suggestions, alum updates, thought in their cultural and social contexts. or address changes to [email protected] • A commitment to inclusiveness: to cross over religious,racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation differences. Graduate Theological Union • Adaptive leadership skills: to discern deeper meanings and possibilities in a given 2400 Ridge Road, Berkeley,CA 94709 situation, and to frame solutions in ways that foster collaboration and cooperation. 510/649-2400 • www.gtu.edu The third of these skills, community building, is at the core of all we do here at the GTU.We MEMBER SCHOOLS were created as a theological institution in which coming together across religious differences, American Baptist Seminary of the West denominations and traditions was a primary goal. The vitality of the GTU community testifies Church Divinity School of the Pacific to our success in achieving this goal, and in continually finding the forward edge that will Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology deepen our dialogue and collaboration. Franciscan School of Theology The GTU is the only theological consortium in the nation with affiliated academic centers of Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley Jewish and Buddhist studies.We are working to increase our diversity and to expand our understanding of pluralism, through projects such as the new Asian Theologies initiative, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary described later in this issue. Pacific School of Religion The erosion of community in our country has been documented by many scholars, notably San Francisco Theological Seminary our own Robert Bellah. The rampant individualism of our culture and the “turn to the self”in Starr King School for the Ministry religious discourse and practice has imperiled genuine community.If we are to craft a world in which our common humanity can flourish, the ability of leaders to build community is of ACADEMIC PROGRAM UNITS the essence. Center for the Study of Religion and Culture This is why the GTU is committed to being a place where our commonalities are as profound Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies as our differences;where we learn from the particularity and uniqueness of each individual Center for Women and Religion and tradition,rather than allowing our differences to divide us; and where our life together as a learning community empowers our students and faculty to help build new structures of AFFILIATES association and bonds of harmony,justice, and peace. Center for the Arts,Religion, and Education The GTU’s vision is to be the leader in scholarship that creates community across religious Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences divides. Institute of Buddhist Studies New College Berkeley Regards, Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute School of Applied Theology James A. Donahue Currents is printed on recycled and recyclable paper using soy inks. The Promise and Pain of Pluralism Asian Theologies Fum it a ka Mats uoka, “Voices and Visions” cours e , for exa mple, at the GTU wh ose life history, students exp lore a variety of perspectives, sc holarshi p, and from the writings of so uthern Baptist teachi ng center aroun d preacher Will Campbell and Confuci a n As the leading progra m for theological issues of plur a lism, is sc holar Tu Wei Min, to writers such as bell sc holarshi p that crosse s over tra ditional the second reci pient of hooks , Max i ne Hong Kingston, and Elia s divides of fa ith ,r ace, and culture , the the annu a l Sarlo Chacour ,a Palestini a n Chr istian .