228. Dismantling the Myth of the White God, with Grace Ji-Sun Kim, author of When God Became White

Spiritual Life and Leadership

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Grace Ji-Sun Kim, theology professor at Earlham School of Religion and the author of When God Became White, discusses how cultural forces throughout history have shaped the portrayal of both God and Jesus as white males, and how that portrayal has hurt our ability to be the leaders we need to be.
THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Grace Ji-Sun Kim discusses the historical influence of the Roman Empire in shaping the perception of a white male God in Christianity.
• Cultural and societal forces led to the dominant image of a white male deity.
• Grace Ji-Sun Kim suggests reimagining God within different cultural contexts to challenge this prevailing narrative.
• Artists portraying Jesus in various ethnicities counteract the dominant white male imagery.
• Portraying God in diverse ways can be valuable and necessary.
• Markus Watson shares an example of a teacher's experiment to illustrate that race is a social construct, not a biological one.
• The conversation touches on the harmful implications of using race as a biological concept to assert superiority.
• According to Grace Ji-Sun Kim the feminine naming of Hagia Sophia as holy wisdom holds significant importance in church history.
• Diverse voices are crucial for leading change within churches.
• Grace Ji-Sun Kim suggests that white people should diversify their reading, podcast listening, and sermon choices for a deeper understanding.
• Markus Watson recounts his childhood exposure to a white Jesus, reflecting on its impact.
• Grace Ji-Sun Kim emphasizes the need to challenge and critique the prevailing image of a white male God.
• Practical steps for churches include critically analyzing liturgy, deeply engaging with scripture, and welcoming diverse perspectives for a fuller understanding of God.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Grace Ji-Sun Kim:
  • Earlham School of Religion
  • Madang Podcast
  • Loving Life Substack
• Books mentioned:
  • When God Became White, by Grace Ji-Sun Kim
• Related episodes:
  • Building a Multi-Inclusive Church, with Efrem Smith and Dan Kreiss
  • Cultivating Cultural Competence, with Daniel Lee
  • Called to Each Other, with Claude Alexander
  • Ministry Leadership in a Racialized Society, with David Swanson

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