Asian and Asian American authors are asking vital questions, offering fresh theological insight, and speaking with hard-won wisdom into the life of the church and the world. Their work challenges, forms, and enlarges the faith of every reader who encounters it. Every May, we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month by spotlighting these authors and the conversations they're leading. Explore their books, articles, videos, and podcasts below!
Cameron Lee Small, MS, LPCC, is a licensed clinical counselor, transracial adoptee, and mental health advocate based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was born in Korea and relinquished into foster care at age three. He was then adopted in 1984 to a family in the United States. His private practice, Therapy Redeemed, specializes in the mental health needs of adoptees and their families wherever they may be in their own adoption journey. His work has been featured in Christianity Today, the National Council for Adoption, and the Center for Adoption Support and Education.
Felicia Wu Song (PhD, University of Virginia) is a sociologist and author of Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence and Place in the Digital Age and Virtual Communities: Bowling Alone, Online Together. With almost twenty years’ experience serving as faculty at Louisiana State University and Westmont College, she combines her training in history, communication studies, and sociology with a personal interest in theology to speak and teach on matters of spiritual formation and well-being in a digitally-saturated society. Living in the Pacific Northwest, she enjoys discovering a good food truck with her husband and two teenaged children. For her latest activities, see http://feliciawusong.com.
E. K. Strawser (DO, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) is the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o (which means "presence" in Hawaiian)—non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu—and a community physician at KeOla Pono. She is the founder of `Iwa Collaborative, a consulting and content-developing firm to empower kingdom-grounded leaders to navigate change, grow adaptive capacity, and foster local flourishing. Prior to transitioning to Hawaii, she served as adjunct professor of medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and of African Studies at her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania (where she and her husband served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship), after finishing her Fulbright scholarship at the University of Dar es Salaam. She is the author of Centering Discipleship, and she and Steve have three seriously amazing children.
Dan Stringer grew up as a third culture kid in five countries on three continents. He is a graduate of Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary, ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church, and serves as team leader for InterVarsity's Graduate and Faculty Ministries in Hawai'i. He is pastor of theological formation at Wellspring Covenant Church in Hālawa, Hawai'i. He previously was a social worker helping people obtain housing and employment. He has written for Missio Alliance, Inheritance, and Level Ground, and is a contributor to Father Factor.
Jenn Suen Chen is a spiritual director, speaker, and leader in the area of spiritual formation and crosscultural ministry. She is codirector of Summit Clear (with her husband, John), an organization focused on providing spiritual direction, mentoring, and leadership coaching for those in crosscultural work. She serves with Pioneers and spent twenty-five years living in Asia raising her family. Jenn and John have four adult children and live in the Pacific Northwest.
Christine Yi Suh is a writer, spiritual director, and pastor. She has previously served as a pastor of spiritual formation and as the assistant director of spiritual formation and care at Pepperdine University. Christine received her MA in theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is a graduate of the Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. She is a regular contributor to Missio Alliance and the Nine Beats Collective. She and her spouse, David, live with their two children outside of Los Angeles.
Chloe T. Sun (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is professor of Old Testament and academic dean at Logos Evangelical Seminary and has published books in Chinese and English, including The Ethics of Violence in the Story of Aqhat, LoveAlready but Not Yet: A Commentary on the Song of Songs and Attempt Great Things for God: Theological Education in Diaspora.
S. Joshua Swamidass (MD, PhD, UC–Irvine) is a scientist, physician, and associate professor of laboratory and genomic medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis, where he uses artificial intelligence to explore science at the intersection ofmedicine, biology, and chemistry. He is a Veritas Forums speaker and blogs at Peaceful Science.
Kang-San Tan (PhD, Aberdeen University) is general director of BMS World Mission. He is also chair of the Commission on Mission and provides leadership for the Global Baptist Mission Network of the Baptist World Alliance, and he has previously served as head of mission studies at Redcliffe College and executive director of AsiaCMS.
Erica Tan (PsyD, Regent University) is a licensed psychologist in Oregon and an adolescent and family team member at Portland DBT Institute. In addition, she provides training and consultation in DBT nationally with PDBTI.
Hear More from AAPI Authors
Prayer can be daunting as a parent and as a family because what can be more intimate and vulnerable than opening ourselves with humility, hope, and honesty to the all-knowing, all-seeing God of the universe? Inspired by Kaylee Prays for the Children of the World, here are four ideas for how you can lean into the lessons of the book and create a culture of prayer in your own family.
In this interview, IVP authors Carmen Joy Imes, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young, E. K. Strawser, Nijay Gupta, Rob Dixon, and Sandra L. Glahn reflect on Women’s History Month and the importance of hearing women—and what we miss when we don’t. Gilmore-Young and Gupta are hosts of the IVP podcast Hear Women.