Doing Asian American Theology: A Contextual Framework for Faith and Practice

Lee (Double Particularity), the academic dean at the Center for Asian American Theology and Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary, lays out a novel framework to develop a theology rooted in Asian American identity. “All theology is contextual—meaning answers to our burning questions arise out of our lives,” Lee contends, positing that because “White-normative theologies” have long posed as “objective universal science,” a new theology rooted in the lives of Asian Americans is needed. Lee proposes the “Asian American Quadrilateral,” a “heuristic tool” for examining “Asian American identities and experiences” by looking at four themes: “Asian heritage, migration experience, American culture, and racialization.” He is more concerned with providing an analytical framework than in making any declarations about the content of Asian American theology, which, he explains, is as broad and diverse as the Asian American community. Illustrating this point, he highlights how heritage has shaped the faith of generations of Asian Americans, noting that Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have long influenced the belief systems of Asian Americans with Chinese heritage and that Filipino American religiosity fuses Indigenous beliefs with the Catholicism of colonial Spaniards. Lee’s deeply considered perspective offers a thought-provoking way to contemplate what a Christian theology divorced from “White norms” could look like. This provides plenty to chew on. (Nov.)