In this episode Jeff and Emily talk about the stories we hear and tell, and how that shapes the way we see ourselves and others in the world. To dig into the question of identity, we talk to two storytellers, practical theologian Joy J. Moore and sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen.
Dr. Joy J. Moore. She is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Professor of Biblical Preaching, and she also serves as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. She describes herself as an ecclesial storyteller, seeking to encourage theologically framed biblically attentive, and socially compelling interpretations of scripture so that we can understand the critical issues influencing our formation and contemporary culture.
Dr. Nancy Wang Yuen is a sociologist and an expert on race and racism in Hollywood. Nancy is the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism. She’s also the co-editor of a book called Power Women: Stories of Motherhood, Faith and the Academy. She’s the host of the Disruptor’s podcast and she’s currently writing a book about her life through the films and television shows she grew up watching.
Find out more about the Emerging Scholar’s Network and their current discussion series on their website. They have a new spiritual formation group for post-docs forming, as well!
Missio Alliance Comment Policy
The Missio Alliance Writing Collectives exist as a ministry of writing to resource theological practitioners for mission. From our Leading Voices to our regular Writing Team and those invited to publish with us as Community Voices, we are creating a space for thoughtful engagement of critical issues and questions facing the North American Church in God’s mission. This sort of thoughtful engagement is something that we seek to engender not only in our publishing, but in conversations that unfold as a result in the comment section of our articles.
Unfortunately, because of the relational distance introduced by online communication, “thoughtful engagement” and “comment sections” seldom go hand in hand. At the same time, censorship of comments by those who disagree with points made by authors, whose anger or limited perspective taints their words, or who simply feel the need to express their own opinion on a topic without any meaningful engagement with the article or comment in question can mask an important window into the true state of Christian discourse. As such, Missio Alliance sets forth the following suggestions for those who wish to engage in conversation around our writing:
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If you disagree with something the an author said, consider framing your response as, “I hear you as saying _________. Am I understanding you correctly? If so, here’s why I disagree. _____________.
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One of our favorite tenants is that “an enemy is someone whose story we haven’t heard.” Very often disagreements and rants are the result of people talking past rather than to one another. Everyone’s perspective is intimately bound up with their own stories – their contexts and experiences. We encourage you to couch your comments in whatever aspect of your own story might help others understand where you are coming from.
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