Grace Ji-Sun Kim's "When God Became White" explores the complex relationship between Christianity, race, and power. Kim argues that the racialization of God has had a profound impact on the way Christianity has been understood and practiced throughout history. The book examines how white supremacy has shaped theological interpretations and social structures within the church. Kim's work offers a powerful critique of white privilege and calls for a more inclusive and anti-racist theology. It encourages readers to confront their own biases and work towards a more just and equitable church.
In "Surviving God," Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan Shaw explore the intersection of faith, trauma, and feminist theology. The book examines how religious institutions and beliefs can both cause and perpetuate trauma, particularly for women. Kim and Shaw offer a critical analysis of patriarchal structures within religious contexts and propose alternative ways of understanding God and spirituality that are more inclusive and empowering. Their work provides a space for healing and reconciliation for those who have experienced religious trauma. It encourages readers to confront their own biases and work towards a more just and equitable world.
This week Grace and I dove deep into the messy, fascinating history of how the early church wrestled with the Holy Spirit - and let me tell you, it's way more complicated than most of us realize. We're talking about a time when there was no canonized New Testament, no creeds, just a bunch of monotheistic folks trying to figure out what to do with the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead and they were experiencing God through the Spirit. Grace brilliantly walks us through why it took centuries to develop clear doctrine about the Trinity (spoiler: the word isn't even in the Bible!), how Roman imperial politics shaped these theological debates, and why context absolutely matters when we're doing theology. We tackle some killer questions from our class participants about everything from explaining the Trinity to Muslims and Jews, to how we discern when the Holy Spirit is actually working versus our own emotions and desires. Plus, we discuss how theology is always a second-order discourse from the actual life of God's people - which means our language about God better be accountable to how God is actually present with us. If you want to understand where our doctrines come from and why they matter (or don't), this conversation is essential listening.
You can join the class and get Grace's lectures here and watch the conversation on YouTube here.
Grace Ji-Sun Kim is a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion and host of the Madang podcast.
Previous Episodes with Grace
Upcoming Online Class: Rediscovering the Spirit: Hand-Raisers, Han, & the Holy Ghost
"Rediscovering the Spirit: Hand-Raisers, Han, and the Holy Ghost" is an open-online course exploring the dynamic, often overlooked third person of the Trinity. Based on Grace Ji-Sun Kim's groundbreaking work on the Holy Spirit (pneumatology), this class takes participants on a journey through biblical foundations, historical developments, diverse cultural perspectives, and practical applications of Spirit theology. Moving beyond traditional Western theological frameworks, we'll explore feminist interpretations, global perspectives, and innovative approaches to understanding the Spirit in today's world. Whether you've felt the Spirit was missing from your faith journey or are simply curious to deepen your understanding, this class creates space for thoughtful discussion, personal reflection, and spiritual growth.
As always, this class is donation-based, including 0. To get class info and sign up, head over here.
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