
Grace Ji-Sun Kim: When God Became White
12/30/24 • 57 min
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In this episode, Grace Ji-Sun Kim discusses her provocative new book, When God Became White. We delve into challenging topics like the implications of a colonialist legacy on the church, the intersections of race, gender, and religion, and how historical missions have shaped perceptions. We also discuss the representation of Jesus in church life, syncretism in Christianity, and the experiences of Korean immigrants.
Grace Ji-Sun Kim is a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion and host of the Madang podcast.
You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube.
Previous Episodes with Grace & Susan
- Surviving God
- Godly QnA
- a Theology of Visibility
- What is Intersectional Theology?
- The Prophetic Life of the Spirit
- Embracing the Other and Reading the Bible
- Keeping Hope Alive
Garrett Theological Seminary sponsored this episode. Seminary education isn’t just for pastors. Social awareness of the world’s most pressing problems, robust ethical analysis, empathic biblical wisdom, and courageous leadership are skills you can use across a wide range of vocations. Whether you feel called to care and counseling, public service, prophetic arts, or non-profit management, there’s a degree program at Garrett Seminary that’s right for you. Our global faculty and diverse student body nurture class discussions that reflect the contextual realities in the communities you’ll serve, and our commitment to hands-on learning means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to put that knowledge to use. Located in the heart of Northwestern’s campus, just a short train ride from Chicago, let our city be your training ground. Garrett also offers fully online and hybrid programs. So wherever and whoever you are, apply to begin your fulfilling new career today. Learn more here.
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Join my Substack - Process This!
Join our class - THE RISE OF BONHOEFFER, for a guided tour of Bonhoeffer's life and thought.
Spend a week with Tripp & Andrew Root in Bonhoeffer’s House in Berlin this June as part of the Rise of Bonhoeffer Travel Learning Experience. INFO & DETAILS HERE
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In this episode, Grace Ji-Sun Kim discusses her provocative new book, When God Became White. We delve into challenging topics like the implications of a colonialist legacy on the church, the intersections of race, gender, and religion, and how historical missions have shaped perceptions. We also discuss the representation of Jesus in church life, syncretism in Christianity, and the experiences of Korean immigrants.
Grace Ji-Sun Kim is a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion and host of the Madang podcast.
You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube.
Previous Episodes with Grace & Susan
- Surviving God
- Godly QnA
- a Theology of Visibility
- What is Intersectional Theology?
- The Prophetic Life of the Spirit
- Embracing the Other and Reading the Bible
- Keeping Hope Alive
Garrett Theological Seminary sponsored this episode. Seminary education isn’t just for pastors. Social awareness of the world’s most pressing problems, robust ethical analysis, empathic biblical wisdom, and courageous leadership are skills you can use across a wide range of vocations. Whether you feel called to care and counseling, public service, prophetic arts, or non-profit management, there’s a degree program at Garrett Seminary that’s right for you. Our global faculty and diverse student body nurture class discussions that reflect the contextual realities in the communities you’ll serve, and our commitment to hands-on learning means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to put that knowledge to use. Located in the heart of Northwestern’s campus, just a short train ride from Chicago, let our city be your training ground. Garrett also offers fully online and hybrid programs. So wherever and whoever you are, apply to begin your fulfilling new career today. Learn more here.
_____________________
Join my Substack - Process This!
Join our class - THE RISE OF BONHOEFFER, for a guided tour of Bonhoeffer's life and thought.
Spend a week with Tripp & Andrew Root in Bonhoeffer’s House in Berlin this June as part of the Rise of Bonhoeffer Travel Learning Experience. INFO & DETAILS HERE
Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode

David Congdon: Demythologizing Advent
In this episode, Dr. David Congdon joins me to discuss Rudolf Bultmann and his Advent preaching. He is infamous for his “demythologizing” approach to scripture, which seeks to uncover the true meaning behind the biblical narratives. Bultmann’s Advent sermons strip away sentimentalism, presenting the Incarnation as a call to authentic existence. We’ll consider how his approach can help us understand Christmas as more than a story, but as a profound encounter with God’s call in our own lives.
You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube
David Congdon is an author, speaker, and scholar working in the area of theology and culture. Originally from Portland, Oregon, he completed a B.A. in English at Wheaton College, acquired an M.Div. and Ph.D. in theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, and have since worked in the publishing industry as an academic acquisitions editor.
Previous Podcast Episodes with David
- Who Is a True Christian?: Contesting Religious Identity in American Culture
- Dialectical Theology
- Bultmann’s Mission of Demythologizing
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This DECEMBER, we will be exploring the 'Theologians of Crisis' in our online Advent class - Breaking into the Broken World. Join us to learn about Karl Barth, Paul Tillich, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Rudolph Bultmann as we explore their thoughts and timely reflections in their Advent/Christmas sermons.
Join my Substack - Process This!
Join our class - THE RISE OF BONHOEFFER, for a guided tour of Bonhoeffer's life and thought.
Spend a week with Tripp & Andrew Root in Bonhoeffer’s House in Berlin this June as part of the Rise of Bonhoeffer Travel Learning Experience. INFO & DETAILS HERE
Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Next Episode

A Tripp-y Tutorial: The Romance of Learning & Tripp’s Elevator Pitch for Philosophy
In this episode, I team up with our producer, Josh Gilbert, for an experimental format inspired by our podcast planning sessions, where Josh often brings up intriguing questions he’s gathered while editing. Together, we explore how our initial infatuation with ideas can grow into a deeper understanding and mastery and how our personal biases inevitably shape our philosophical inquiries.
We discuss the significance of philosophy in making sense of existence, agency, and how we apply ideas in everyday life. We talk about the value of curiosity and the ongoing journey of learning across the humanities, emphasizing the need to engage with philosophical texts critically and passionately. Josh pressed me on the distinction between plausibility and intensity of faith commitments, the existential register’s importance in understanding religious identity, and how modern empiricism and cultural narratives influence individual agency.
Throughout the conversation, we weave in insights from thinkers like Alfred North Whitehead, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Søren Kierkegaard, Paul Tillich, Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, J.R.R. Tolkien, Martin Heidegger, Philip Goff, and Charles Taylor. Together, we explore how these voices create a community of inquiry that invigorates our understanding of life and existence, showing how philosophy can shape what we think and how we live.
To get the entire conversation, all podcast episodes ad-free, and support our work, consider joining the Process This on SubStack or get access to our entire catalog of classes & all the rest by joining up at Theology Class.
UPCOMING ONLINE CLASS - Truth in Tough Times: Global Voices of Liberation
I am thrilled to announce our upcoming class with Joerg Rieger and a host of liberation theologians from across the globe. Our goal is to create an experience where participants will get a clear and compelling account of contemporary liberation theology and meet the most critical voices of our generation. As always, then lass is donation-based, including 0. Get info and join up at www.TruthInToughTimes.com
_____________________
Join my Substack - Process This!
Join our class - THE RISE OF BONHOEFFER, for a guided tour of Bonhoeffer's life and thought.
Spend a week with Tripp & Andrew Root in Bonhoeffer’s House in Berlin this June as part of the Rise of Bonhoeffer Travel Learning Experience. INFO & DETAILS HERE
Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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