In-person November Annual Meeting 2025 Program Book

I offer a textual analysis of the digital presence of Progressive Asian American Christians (PAAC)—their Facebook group, website, online magazine, podcasts, and news media, and supplement this with ethnographic research from IRB-approved interviews with key participants including leadership and “lay” members in the community. I argue the relationship between race and religion for Asians in the U.S. diaspora materializes as a particular mode of resistance rooted in notions of citizenship and freedom, indeed, for participants of PAAC. Here, I theorize the ways in which this group of Asian American Christians as specifically “progressive” is an example of formation and transformation through their adversarial position in relationship to Asian American religious identities that are conservative and evangelical Protestant.  In this analysis I highlight the following themes: a spiritual homelessness, the theo-political language of affirmation, the inverted identity of religious-but-not-spiritual, and the significance of the formation of a (digital) sanctuary movement.  

The growing prevalence of anti-feminist and misogynistic ideologies among young men, both in the U.S. and globally, reflects their perceived sense of unfreedom in contemporary gender discourse. In South Korea, the emergence of idaenam(men in their twenties) exemplifies this trend, as many perceive themselves as victims of gendered restrictions. Despite extensive sociological analysis, theological engagement with their self-alienation remains scarce, particularly within ecclesial contexts. This paper employs digital ethnography to examine online spaces that shape harmful gender narratives and explores how pastoral theology can provide interventions that foster self-reflection, relational healing, and gender justice. By integrating theological reflection with ecclesial practice, this study reimagines freedom as a path toward gender equality, challenges the unfreedom imposed by restrictive gender norms, and proposes concrete pastoral strategies to restore self-cohesion, promote gender equity, and cultivate inclusive faith communities where young men can engage in transformative relationships by transgressing entrenched gender boundaries.

My qualitative research explores the experiences of Korean women ministers leading predominantly white congregations in North America. These women transition into white-dominant churches as a quest for freedom from the constraints of Korean churches, where women’s roles in ministry are limited. Their experiences resonate with Sang Hyun Lee’s concept of freedom in From a Liminal Place, where Asian American women feel liberated from patriarchal norms in their home countries.

While they find greater autonomy in North America, these ministers face challenges related to their racial, cultural, and immigrant status. They are often seen as “strangers,” and the language and cultural barriers complicate their sense of freedom. Despite these challenges, they use their cultural differences as a source of preaching authority, resisting colonial norms and offering a decolonial, justice-oriented theological vision. This research advocates for a new homiletical model that embraces the voices of marginalized preachers and enhances their ministries.

This presentation examines the relationship between complementarian theology, purity culture, and responses to sexual abuse within the Biblical Mennonite Alliance (BMA). I first analyze two BMA publications influenced by the conservative Evangelical Danvers Statement, exploring how gender roles shape views on sexuality, modesty, and culpability in sexual violence. I then examine how this framework informs church responses to abuse, drawing on a 2024 GRACE investigation of a BMA church that uncovered multiple perpetrators and leadership failures. The report highlights how gendered power dynamics silence victims and prioritize male authority. Ultimately, I argue that purity culture constrains freedom, fosters silence, and perpetuates violence, while exposing its abuses can help ecclesial bodies counter marginalization and empower women and abuse survivors with the freedom to speak.

The Yogapradīpa, a medieval Jain yoga text, survives in two distinct recensions: a shorter version (90 verses) and a longer version (142 or 143 verses). While the longer recension is attested in many manuscripts, two early 16th-century manuscripts containing bālāvabodha (vernacular) commentaries preserve only the short recension, suggesting that it had a distinct role in monastic education. This paper examines three key printed editions: the 1911 Hindi edition, which references 143 verses but omits verses 67–99; a multi-text edition that ends at verse 90, confirming the short recension’s circulation in print; and the 1960 Gujarati edition, which selects the longer recension (143 verses) based on seven manuscripts. These versions raise important questions about textual transmission, manuscript versus print culture, and shifting notions of authenticity in Jain yoga. By analyzing which verses were omitted or added, this study explores how different manuscript and printed traditions shaped competing definitions of “real” Jain yoga.

This paper explores discourses surrounding the authenticity of yoga within Jain intellectual traditions, focusing on the works of Haribhadra (6th–8th century) and Yaśovijaya (1624–1688). These thinkers positioned their yoga practices as the "true" or "authentic" form in juxtaposition with other religious traditions. By categorizing practitioners based on their capabilities and progress in yoga practice, their texts reflect hierarchical judgments and reinforce Jain identity. I examine Haribhadra’s classifications of yogins across various works and investigate how Yaśovijaya expands on these ideas, offering original translations. Both authors emphasize avañcaka-yoga ("authentic yoga") as the final stage in yoga practice, achieved through purification resulting from adherence to Jain ethical precepts and ascetic disciplines. I show how they engaged with broader intellectual currents while firmly situating their systematizations of yoga within Jain soteriology and Jain karma doctrine.

This paper examines a variety of “authenticity discourses” about the figure of the Indian yogi that were circulating from the mid-19th to early-20th century, exploring how different representations of the yogi-fakir shed light on the contested, dialogical construction of Western and Indian modernities.  Were yogis representative of an authentic Indian cultural essence (and how so)?  What sorts of yogis were “real” yogis (and what sort were fakes)? Were yogis genuine possessors of occult powers or were they charlatans? These questions, and the competing authenticity claims that emerged in answers to them, were never as simple as they seemed on the surface, but were intimately tied to larger political and social agendas, ethical value judgments, and even metaphysical assertions about the nature of reality.  Debates about the authenticity of the yogi were part and parcel of constitutively “modern” local and global negotiations regarding “religion,” “science,” and “magic” in this period.

This paper analyzes the topic of "authenticity" in Bāul-Fakiri musical contexts, specifically on how the authentic fakir or sadhu is constructed in both emic and etic discourses. Special attention is given to how the yoga of breath-work and other related practices contributes to the perceived authenticity of fakirs or sadhus in these discourses. The paper begins by setting the stage of the world of sadhus, including the place of Bāul-Fakirs within it. It then shifts to discussion of how "Musical Language Worlds" facilitated the emergence of another kind of Bāul-Fakiri sadhu who makes use of sound and music. The paper then shifts to consider an emic example of authenticity by Lalon Fakir, the first line of which is "Stop Faking and Follow the Fakir Way" (phereb cheṛe karo phakiri). The final part of the paper contrasts these emic indicators of authenticity with etic authenticators often imposed from outside.

Based on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork, this paper explores American spiritual seekers who, having started doing yoga for any number of reasons, decide to “go deeper” into their practice. This is a context of not only postural practice, but also mantra, devotional singing, festival-going, astrology, and murti-puja, among others. Despite appearances to the contrary, such cultural borrowing or appropriation is rarely as hodgepodge as it initially seems. Rather, there is a guiding principle that shapes the contours of individual choice: authenticity. That is, spiritual seekers in the yoga world “go deeper” both by adopting “authentic” practices, and by choosing practices that feel personally “authentic.” But what does this mean? Authentic to what? And to whom? In this paper, I address how the effort of “going deeper”–both its associated practices, and the rhetoric around it–is navigated through a multi-faceted discourse about what counts as “authentic.”

The Yogapradīpa, a medieval Jain yoga text, survives in two distinct recensions: a shorter version (90 verses) and a longer version (142 or 143 verses). While the longer recension is attested in many manuscripts, two early 16th-century manuscripts containing bālāvabodha (vernacular) commentaries preserve only the short recension, suggesting that it had a distinct role in monastic education. This paper examines three key printed editions: the 1911 Hindi edition, which references 143 verses but omits verses 67–99; a multi-text edition that ends at verse 90, confirming the short recension’s circulation in print; and the 1960 Gujarati edition, which selects the longer recension (143 verses) based on seven manuscripts. These versions raise important questions about textual transmission, manuscript versus print culture, and shifting notions of authenticity in Jain yoga. By analyzing which verses were omitted or added, this study explores how different manuscript and printed traditions shaped competing definitions of “real” Jain yoga.

This paper explores discourses surrounding the authenticity of yoga within Jain intellectual traditions, focusing on the works of Haribhadra (6th–8th century) and Yaśovijaya (1624–1688). These thinkers positioned their yoga practices as the "true" or "authentic" form in juxtaposition with other religious traditions. By categorizing practitioners based on their capabilities and progress in yoga practice, their texts reflect hierarchical judgments and reinforce Jain identity. I examine Haribhadra’s classifications of yogins across various works and investigate how Yaśovijaya expands on these ideas, offering original translations. Both authors emphasize avañcaka-yoga ("authentic yoga") as the final stage in yoga practice, achieved through purification resulting from adherence to Jain ethical precepts and ascetic disciplines. I show how they engaged with broader intellectual currents while firmly situating their systematizations of yoga within Jain soteriology and Jain karma doctrine.

This paper examines a variety of “authenticity discourses” about the figure of the Indian yogi that were circulating from the mid-19th to early-20th century, exploring how different representations of the yogi-fakir shed light on the contested, dialogical construction of Western and Indian modernities.  Were yogis representative of an authentic Indian cultural essence (and how so)?  What sorts of yogis were “real” yogis (and what sort were fakes)? Were yogis genuine possessors of occult powers or were they charlatans? These questions, and the competing authenticity claims that emerged in answers to them, were never as simple as they seemed on the surface, but were intimately tied to larger political and social agendas, ethical value judgments, and even metaphysical assertions about the nature of reality.  Debates about the authenticity of the yogi were part and parcel of constitutively “modern” local and global negotiations regarding “religion,” “science,” and “magic” in this period.

This paper analyzes the topic of "authenticity" in Bāul-Fakiri musical contexts, specifically on how the authentic fakir or sadhu is constructed in both emic and etic discourses. Special attention is given to how the yoga of breath-work and other related practices contributes to the perceived authenticity of fakirs or sadhus in these discourses. The paper begins by setting the stage of the world of sadhus, including the place of Bāul-Fakirs within it. It then shifts to discussion of how "Musical Language Worlds" facilitated the emergence of another kind of Bāul-Fakiri sadhu who makes use of sound and music. The paper then shifts to consider an emic example of authenticity by Lalon Fakir, the first line of which is "Stop Faking and Follow the Fakir Way" (phereb cheṛe karo phakiri). The final part of the paper contrasts these emic indicators of authenticity with etic authenticators often imposed from outside.

Based on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork, this paper explores American spiritual seekers who, having started doing yoga for any number of reasons, decide to “go deeper” into their practice. This is a context of not only postural practice, but also mantra, devotional singing, festival-going, astrology, and murti-puja, among others. Despite appearances to the contrary, such cultural borrowing or appropriation is rarely as hodgepodge as it initially seems. Rather, there is a guiding principle that shapes the contours of individual choice: authenticity. That is, spiritual seekers in the yoga world “go deeper” both by adopting “authentic” practices, and by choosing practices that feel personally “authentic.” But what does this mean? Authentic to what? And to whom? In this paper, I address how the effort of “going deeper”–both its associated practices, and the rhetoric around it–is navigated through a multi-faceted discourse about what counts as “authentic.”

This presentation will promote a contextual understanding of ministry by examining key trends in congregations and clergy within The Episcopal Church using historical and current data sources. It will offer analysis from the Parochial Report, ecumenical studies, and pandemic-related research to contextualize The Episcopal Church within the broader landscape of American religion. Additionally, it will offer theological reflections on how data can inform future decision-making at local and churchwide levels. The session will also introduce various online tools that help researchers, congregations, and dioceses explore demographic, census, and historical data to support strategic planning and community engagement.

This paper explores the theological conflicts surrounding Anglicanism, particularly focusing on the debates over gender and sexuality, which have caused significant division both within the Anglican Communion and in its ecumenical relations. It addresses the nature of intra-denominational disagreements, examining the implications of differing understandings of unity, orthodoxy, and doctrine. The paper analyzes the role of Anglican formularies and the Lambeth Quadrilateral in shaping contemporary theological identity and ecclesiology, particularly in light of the ongoing disputes. Additionally, it considers the work of the Church of England and the wider Communion in developing doctrine, with particular attention to sociocultural factors influencing these theological discussions. The paper also reflects on the legacy of the Council of Nicaea and its historical reception, proposing that its insights may offer a way forward in navigating these contentious issues and fostering both intra- and inter-church dialogue.

Rev Dr George Armstrong was one of the Anglican Church’s most controversial and public pākehā activists in late twentieth century New Zealand. Being at the forefront of demonstrations against nuclear warships, the apartheid era Springbok Rugby Tour, and racism against Māori, Armstrong redefined his priestly role and the place of liturgy through his resistance efforts. Building on archival research and oral histories, this paper will explore the transformation of George Armstrong from parish priest to priestly activist during the Vietnam War era. Particular attention will be given to the resources and networks, both domestically and internationally, that gave rise to Armstrong’s political theology. 

The Episcopal Church recently adopted a framework to guide migration ministry called Migration with Dignity which exemplifies operative ecclesiology. In response to pastoral concerns, Episcopalians engaged in practical/congregational ministry with immigrants have contributed to Anglican identity formation by foregrounding stranger care as a key implication of the Baptismal Covenant with ramifications extending to the diocesan and national levels. Relatedly, Jesse Zink has highlighted migration as one of three interlocking crises that must be addressed by Episcopalians. Thus, in this paper I take up MWD to address this pressing issue, documenting its emergence as a baptismal ecclesiological response to local concern and placing it in conversation with broader theologies of migration. Additionally, I illustrate the shape of MWD in practice by highlighting efforts in the Diocese of Texas. Finally, drawing from Miguel de la Torre, I introduce the possibility expanding the scope of MWD to include wealth retribution to immigrant parishes.