This course offers a unique opportunity to learn with faculty colleagues/peers. All faculty are welcome to attend.
The course will be offered in 3 class sessions spread out over 3 months this spring:
Friday, April 30 from 5:00-6:30pm ET: Session 1: Humanity in the Biblical Vision: The Roots of Unity and Diversity. Dr. Elizabeth Sung
Thursday, May 20 from 6:30-8:00pm ET (tentative date): Session 2: The Good Life and the Good Person in the Biblical Vision: Seeking God’s Kingdom and Righteousness as Jesus’ Disciples. Dr. Elizabeth Sung
Tuesday, June 22 from 7:30-9:00pm ET (tentative date): Session 3: Case Studies of Theology in Practice: The Theology of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in conversation with contemporary practitioners. Dr. Jeff Liou, Dr. Robert Chao Romero, and Dr. Elizabeth Sung.
We’re looking forward to learning and engaging with the faculty presenters for this course:
Elizabeth Sung, Ph.D., Visiting Professor in Theology, Regent College (Vancouver, Canada) and Theologian-in-Residence and Senior Fellow, The InterVarsity Institute. Dr. Sung taught for nine years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School as Associate Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, receiving the “Faculty of the Year” award. Her dissertation (2011) is titled “‘Race’ and Ethnicity Discourse and the Christian Doctrine of Humanity: A Systematic Sociological and Theological Appraisal.”
Rev. Dr. Jeff Liou, Director of Theological Formation with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Adjunct Professor at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Liou teaches a Fuller Seminary course on Martin Luther King, Jr.: Theology and Ethics. Dr. Liou earned his PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary, where he studied the intersection of race and theology. He has contributed chapters to books on Asian American Christianity and ethics in pastoral ministry. Dr. Liou has also worked as a pastor, university chaplain, and adjunct professor.
Rev. Dr. Robert Chao Romero, Professor of Chicana/o Studies and Asian American Studies at UCLA. Dr. Chao Romero is “Asian-Latino.” He received his Ph.D. from UCLA in Latin American History and his Juris Doctor from U.C. Berkeley, and is also an attorney. Romero has published 15 academic books and articles on issues of race, immigration, history, education, and religion, including Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity, published by IVP in May 2020. He received the Latina/o Studies book award from the international Latin American Studies Association.
Course Description: This course does not presuppose a religious commitment, but is designed for faculty of all backgrounds who want to explore the Christian tradition and the resources it offers for human flourishing. This course will build on the previous
faculty course taught by Dr. Angela Simms by providing a theological perspective on the problem of racism. We will consider biblical teaching about God’s identity, purposes, and actions in creating and redeeming the world, which reveal what is true, right, just, and good for human beings in living with God and their neighbors. This biblical-theological vision offers wisdom for anyone seeking racial justice and healing, and for those who are followers of Jesus, it offers a general basis for discerning God’s will. This course will provide opportunity for faculty to engage with the faculty presenters and one another in break-out discussion groups.
In sessions One and Two, Regent College Professor/Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Elizabeth Sung will present essential biblical-theological and ethical frameworks to help interrogate and guide our responses to racist patterns embedded in our personal lives, faith communities, and other societal institutions. The final session will engage the theology of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a case study in Christian theological reflection and practice, followed by a conversation about this theology in practice with UCLA historian Dr. Robert Chao Romero, theologian Dr. Jeff Liou, and Dr. Sung.
Is this course for you? This course might be for you if:
- You want to continue learning about racism and explore the Christian tradition and its theological resources for racial justice and healing.
- You are looking for a group setting in which to ask questions and learn with faculty peers.
- You’ve read a few books, but still have lots of questions.
- You’d like to invite a few of your faculty colleagues to engage these important questions together.
This course is co-hosted by InterVarsity Faculty Ministry and The Veritas Forum. We’re hoping this course will offer faculty from diverse religious/faith and secular perspectives a space to explore these important questions about racism with the resources of Christian theology. We welcome you to invite faculty colleagues from your university or field to attend this course with you. This is a great opportunity to learn together. We hope you can join us!
Ashley Byrd
InterVarsity Faculty Ministry, Associate Director
Veritas Forum, Director of Forums
Kathy Cooper
InterVarsity Graduate & Faculty Ministries
Regional Director, GFM Northeast Region