Asian Theological Summer Institute

May 29-June 1, 2018

On the Philadelphia campus of United Lutheran Seminary

7301 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19119 | 215-248- 6305

UnitedLutheranSeminary.edu/atsi

2018

May 29-June 1, 2018

The Asian Theological Summer Institute is a project of United Lutheran Seminary. Held on the the Seminary’s Philadelphia cam-pus, it seeks to identify and encourage Asians/Asian Americans who are focused on theological education at the PhD and ThD level. The Institute functions as a doctoral seminar to test doctoral proposals/projects in the company of guest professors and scholars serving as mentors. This is unique in that it offers an Asian the-matic focus for students who otherwise may not have the help and support of an Asian professor/faculty in their place of study. This project promotes enhanced cultural awareness.

Who May Apply?The focus of the Institute will be the following themes: Post-co-lonial theology/studies, Asian/Asian American theological and biblical hermeneutics and issues of Asian theology/religiosity and pluralism. Doctoral students who are exploring these or other related themes are invited to take advantage of this opportunity. Participation is limited to around 20 doctoral students. Participat-ing students should have completed their course work and be at the stage of exploring their doctoral dissertation proposal.

Tuition and FeesThe Institute charges no tuition or fees and will provide free ac-commodations and meals to participants. Students are expected to pay for their own travel to and from Philadelphia.

Application deadline = February 1, 2018.

Asian Theological Summer Institute

For more information, application forms, or to nominate, visit

UnitedLutheranSeminary.edu/atsi

or contact Rachel Zimmerman at 215- 248 - 6305 | e-mail: atsi@uls.eduor rajashekar@uls.edu

About the Institute

2018

Tat-siong Benny LiewClass of 1956 Professor in New Testament Studies at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA.

Dr. Liew is the author of Politics of Parousia (Brill, 1999), and What Is Asian American Biblical Herme-neutics? (University of Hawaii Press, 2008). In addi-tion, he is the editor of the Semeia volume on “The Bible in Asian America” (with Gale Yee; SBL, 2002), Postcolonial Interventions (Sheffield Phoenix, 2009), They Were All Together in One Place? (with Randall Bailey and Fernando Segovia; SBL 2009), Reading Ideologies (Sheffield Phoenix, 2011), and Psychoanalytical Mediations between Marxist and Postcolonial Readings of the Bible (with Erin Runions, SBL, 2016). Liew is also the Executive Editor of two journals, Biblical Interpretation and Research Perspectives on Biblical Interpretation (both by Brill); in addition, he is the Series Editor of Study Guides to the New Testament (Bloomsbury). Liew previ-ously served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean at the Pacific School of Religion, and as a former member of the American Academy of Religion’s Board of Directors.

Kwok Pui Lan Distinguished Visiting Professor of Theology at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Kwok was the 2011 President of the American Academy of Religion. She has published extensively in Asian feminist theology, biblical interpretation, and postcolonial criticism. An internationally known theologian, she received her doctorate from Harvard University. Dr. Kwok’s publications include Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology; Introducing Asian Feminist Theology; and Discovering the Bible in the Non-Biblical World. She is the editor of a major reference work Women and Christianity in 4 volumes. Dr. Kwok is also the coeditor of Off the Menu: Asian and Asian North American Women’s Religion and Theology and Postcolonial Practice of Ministry: Leadership, Liturgy,

and Interfaith Engagement.

Institute GoalsThe Asian Theological Summer Institute, which is now in its 12th year, seeks to provide a forum for the frank exchange of ideas,networking, and collaborative scholarship among peers and facul-ty, where as a team we seek to:

2018 Faculty

Introduce and Interrogate issues and themes that are of concern to Asians/Asian Americans in graduate theological studies

Revisit and Revitalize Asian heritage within an academic setting

Deepen and Diversify the many perspectives that can be brought to bear on the areas of research

Form an interlinked network with fellow students and scholars

Share and sharpen perspectives through bibliographical and webliographical resources

Offer and open avenues for further cooperation and mentoring.

Peter C. PhanIgnacio Ellacuria Professor of Catholic Social Thought at Georgetown University, Washington DC.

Dr. Phan came to Georgetown University in 2003 and is the founding Director of Graduate Studies of Ph.D. pro-gram in Theology and Religious Studies. He has earned three doctorates: S.T.D. from the Universitas Pontificia Salesiana, Rome, and Ph.D. and D.D. from the University of London. He has also received two honorary degrees: Doctor of Theology from Catholic Theological Union and Doctor of Humane Letters from Elms College. His research deals with the theology of icon in Orthodox theology, patristic theology, eschatology, the history of Christian missions in Asia, and liberation, inculturation and interreligious dialogue. He is the author and editor of over 30 books and has published over 300 essays.

Dr. W. Anne JohAssociate Professor of Systematic Theologyat Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL

Dr. Joh’s research interests include the intersections of feminist/womanist theology, postcolonial and poststructural theory, critical race theory and cultural studies. Her latest research areas include race and sex-uality, postcoloniality and bio-politics of empire, issues of citizenship, human rights, immigration, and psychosocial-re-ligio analysis of subjectivity. Her B.A. is from North Central College; her M.Div. is from Princeton Theological Seminary; her M.Phil and Ph.D. are from Drew University; her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Theology is from Ford-ham University. Publications include Heart of the Cross: A Postcolonial Christol-ogy; “Violence and Asian American Experience: From Abjection to Jeong” in Asian and Asian North American Women’s Theology and Religion; “The Trans-gressive Power of Jeong: A Postcolonial Hybridization of Christology” in Postcolonial Theologies: Divinity and Empires; “Loves’ Multiplicity: Jeong and Spivak’s Notes Towards Planetary Love” in Planetary Loves: Gayatri Spivak, Postcoloniality, and Theology; and the book In Proximity to the Other: A Postcolo-nial Theological Anthropology.

J. Jayakiran SebastianCo- Dean and H. George Anderson Professor of Mission and Cultures, United Lutheran Seminary, Philadel-phia, PA.

Dr. Sebastian is a Presbyter of Church of South India comes from Bangalore. Following his theological training at the United Theological College, he served rural and urban pastorates in the Church of South India, and continued serving as a pastor in an honorary capacity in churches where he was called after he became a theological educator at his alma mater. This engagement continues in the United States through regular preaching and presiding at worship services in the greater Philadelphia area and beyond. In He earned his doctorate from the University of Hamburg in Germany. At the United Theological College, where he worked for almost 20 years before com-ing to the United States, he served as Professor in the Department of Theolo-gy and Ethics and also as Dean of Doctoral Studies. His research and writing interests include baptismal practices, religious conversion, village religion in India and Dalit theology, the ongoing relevance of the Reformation, and challenges of ecumenism and public theology in the 21st century.

J. Paul Rajashekar Luther D. Reed Professor of Systematic Theology and Director of Asian Theological Summer Institute, United Lutheran Seminary, Philadelphia, PA

Dr. Rajashekar, a Lutheran Pastor from India, has been on the faculty of the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia since 1991. He is a graduate of University of Mysore, The United Theological College, Bangalore, Concordia Seminary-Seminex, St. Louis, and The Univer-sity of Iowa. He has taught at the United Theological College and served as an executive for Inter-religious Dialogue at The Lutheran World Federation, Geneva, Switzerland. Besides teaching Systematic theolo-gy, his field of research and writing is Reformation Theology, Christian ecu-menism, religious pluralism, interreligious dialogue, theologies of religions, history and theology of Christian missions, and cross-cultural dialogue. He has published over a dozen books and numerous articles and essays includ-ing, most recently, Abundant Harvest: Stories of Asian Lutherans (co-edited with Edmund Yee, 2012); “Luther as a Resource for Dialogue among Reli-gions,” in Oxford Handbook of Martin Luther’s Theology, eds. Robert Kolb, et. al. (2014); “Our God and Their God”: A Relational Theology of Religious Plurali- ty,” in Engaging Others, Knowing Ourselves, ed. Carol Schersten LaHurd, (2016).

7301 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19119215-248- 6305 | e-mail: atsi@uls.edu or rajashekar@uls.edu

ATSI Philadelphia

UnitedLutheranSeminary.edu/atsi

“Wonderful opportunity. Incredibly generous program. Supportive and nurturing faculty.”— Student, ATSI

Thank you for your wisdom and willingness to share your experi-ence and advice to an emerging scholar! The formal and informal consultations and conversations added much depth and breadth to my perspective on how to proceed with my proposal.”— Student, ATSI

“The profound company of Asian scholars enlivened my work and spirit. I am grateful for the informal mentoring offered by faculty and participants.”— Student, ATSI

“Sometimes it’s easy to feel almost as though you have to suppress your identity, but in an informal and open setting like ATSI you find out not only what others have to offer through their experi-ences, but what you have to offer to others.”— Student, ATSI

Asian Theological Summer Institute

2018