210. Cultivating Cultural Competence, with Daniel Lee, author of Doing Asian American Theology

Spiritual Life and Leadership

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Daniel Lee is the academic dean for the Center for Asian American Theology and Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary and author of Doing Asian American Theology.
Daniel Lee discusses the fact that each of us does theology from a particular persepective. Recognizing our own "particularities" makes us far better leaders. Why? Because the more we are aware of our own cultural particularities, the more we become competent as leaders in regard to one another's cultural particularities.
THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Daniel Lee discusses the idea of God transcending divisive issues and the theological basis for God's perception of people.
• Daniel Lee initially saw his Korean heritage as baggage and tried to shed his cultural identity for a more generic evangelical perspective, but later realized the importance of embracing his Asian American identity in relation to his faith and theology.
• Initially resistant to being an Asian American theologian, Daniel Lee eventually embraced the need to articulate and address the significance of his cultural identity in his theological work.
• Daniel Lee points out that everyone has their own perspective and that when some perspectives become normalized, others are seen as abnormal. This issue exists in society and churches.
• Lee highlights the absence of modern-day race in the Bible and emphasizes the interaction between God and individuals, suggesting God's unique interaction with each person.
• Daniel Lee compares Asian American theology to the witness of God found in the gospels, emphasizing that theology is contextual and filtered through human perspective.
• It is important to recognize theology from an Asian American perspective and to witness to the one God collectively, while acknowledging that different perspectives yield a robust understanding of God.
• Ministry leaders need to move beyond crude stereotypes depicted in pop culture and gain a deeper understanding of colonial history and community-specific challenges.
• It is so important to gain more vocabulary and knowledge about different communities. We also need humility and adaptiveness when interacting with individuals and communities.
• Both Daniel Lee and Markus Watson talk about the importance of discerning and joining in with what God is doing within communities.
• It is important to understand particularity in theology, as well as apply ministry in specific and precise ways rather than using a generic approach.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Daniel Lee:
  • Center for Asian American Theology and Ministry
• Books mentioned:
  • Doing Asian American Theology, by Daniel Lee
  • Doing Local Theology, by Clemens Sedmak
• Church Leadership Institute
• Related Episodes:
  • Episode 173: The Art of Interpreting Culture, with Justin Bailey
  • Episode 167: Called to Each Other, with Claude Alexander
  • Episode 149: Ministry Leadership in a Racialized Society, with David Swanson
  • Episode 143: How the Church Can Respond to Immigration, wit

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