Dr. David C. Chao: Lived Theology in Asian America
Dr. David Chao joined Claire and Rachel to share about his work in the field of Asian American theology. In this theologically rich conversation, David reflects on his Reformed heritage and systematic theological training, as well as his ethnographic and oral history work on the lived theology of Asian American Christians. David shares personally about the importance of Asian American mental health, reflected in his work on the annual Asian American Mental Health Conference at Princeton Theological Seminary. He also ends with words of encouragement for Asian theology students situated in predominantly White institutions.Bio Dr. David C. Chao is the Director of the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary. In this role, he teaches courses on Asian American theology, organizes academic programming in Asian American theology and ministry, and mentors Asian and Asian American students. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University, a Master of Divinity from Regent College, and both a Master of Theology and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Chao has extensive pastoral experience with Chinese American, Korean American, and pan-Asian churches and ministries and is an active member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Through his academic and pastoral work, Dr. Chao explores the complex identities and lived experiences of Asian American Christians, aiming to amplify their voices and stories, and examining how their faith informs their engagement with social justice, identity, and community resilience. Referenced works1517 ProjectAsian American TheologyRegent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter
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Dr. Steve L. Porter: Cultivating Formation-Minded Christians, Pastors and Churches
In today’s conversation, we received wisdom and insight from Dr. Steve Porter about all things spiritual formation and transformation – in personal, pastoral and church contexts. Steve’s work at the intersection of philosophy, theology and psychology means that he brings multilayered insight into the conversation around growth and transformation. Shaped and informed by the spirituality of Paul and the insight of folks like Dallas Willard and Eugene Peterson, Steve reminds us of the spiritual realities available to us as persons in Christ. He encourages us to be aware of God’s presence, engaging in spiritual practices as windows that open ourselves to God. He also shares how we can internalize the love of God and how we as the church can support one another in making the invisible love of God visible and tangible, especially if we have struggled to experience that love in human relationships. We’re excited that Steve will be joining us at Regent in the summer to teach a class on Cultivating Formation-Minded Pastors and Churches (July 21-25). We'd love for you to join us!BioDr. Steven L. Porter is the Senior Research Fellow and Executive Director of the Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture at Westmont College. He is also an affiliate professor of theology and spiritual formation at Biola University's Institute for Spiritual Formation and Rosemead School of Psychology. Dr. Porter earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Southern California under the mentorship of Dallas Willard and holds an M.Phil. in philosophical theology from the University of Oxford. His academic work focuses on Christian spiritual formation, the doctrine of sanctification, and the integration of psychology and theology. Additionally, he serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care.Publications ReferencedSteven L. Porter. “Internalizing the Love of God: A Theological Psychology of Receiving and Resisting Love.” Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care 17, no. 1 (2024): 25-35.Steven L. Porter. "The Future of Spiritual Formation." Journal for Spiritual Formation and Soul Care 16, no. 1 (2023): 3-13.Steven L. Porter. "Biblical Spirituality and Contemplative Spirituality." In Embracing Contemplation: Reclaiming a Christian Spiritual Practice, edited by John H. Coe and Kyle Strobel, 139-165. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019.Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter
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Dr. David C. Wang: Trauma and Spiritual Formation in Churches and Theological Institutions
In this episode, we talk with Regent alum, Dr. David C. Wang, a pastor, psychologist and professor at Fuller Theological Seminary. We discuss trauma and its manifestations in our lives, in the church and theological institutions. David offers helpful insights and practical implications for those in pastoral ministry and anyone who walks alongside trauma survivors. He shares the gifts traumatized people bring to our churches and suggests ways of being with one another (and ourselves) in our pain.Note: In this conversation, we touch on issues related to trauma, spiritual trauma, and adverse childhood experiences. Please take care and decide whether this is helpful listening for you today.BioDr. David C. Wang is the Cliff and Joyce Penner Chair for the Formation of Emotionally Healthy Leaders at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is a licensed psychologist, pastor, and editor of the Journal of Psychology and Theology. David has a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Houston. He also holds a Th.M. in Spiritual Theology from Regent College. Dr. Wang oversees the Seminary Formation Assessment Project, a program funded by the John Templeton Foundation, which is conducting longitudinal empirical research on the human and spiritual formation of students enrolled in various North American seminaries. Dr. Wang's multivocational career reflects his commitment to integrating psychological principles with spiritual formation to foster emotionally healthy leadership within the Christian community. His academic and applied work has focused on the holistic formation of Christian leaders, emphasizing emotional health and resilience alongside intellectual and spiritual development.Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter
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Dr. Cindy Aalders: Women Writing Religious Communities in Eighteenth Century England
In today’s conversation, the last in our Women in Theology series, we catch up with Regent’s own Library Director and Professor of the History of Christianity, Dr. Cindy Aalders. Cindy has recently published her thesis as a monograph, The Spiritual Lives and Manuscript Cultures of Eighteenth-Century Women (2024). In this conversation, we delve into the archives and lives of Methodist, Baptist and Anglican women in the eighteenth century, seeking to understand their friendship, kinship and spiritual development as demonstrated in their letter-writing and diary entries. Cindy’s work highlights the significant impact of women in relational spheres and religious communities. These women invested deeply in intergenerational friendships and spiritual kinship as they sought to be faithful to God. Cindy reminds us that we can learn much from them today as we strive to support one another in an increasingly isolated world. Cindy also shares her upcoming summer class, Children and Spiritual Identity (June 30–July 4).BioDr. Cindy Aalders is the Director of the John Richard Allison Library and Associate Professor of the History of Christianity at Regent College. She earned a Bachelor of Science from The King's University, a Master of Christian Studies and a Master of Theology in Spiritual Theology from Regent College. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy in History at the University of Oxford in 2014, focusing her research on eighteenth-century British women's spiritual lives and manuscript cultures. Cindy’s doctoral thesis, The Spiritual Lives and Manuscript Cultures of Eighteenth-Century English Women, was recently released by Oxford University Press. She has just returned to Regent from research leave, where she focused on girlhood and religious life in the long eighteenth century, digging through various archives in the process!Cindy's PublicationsThe Spiritual Lives and Manuscript Cultures of Eighteenth-Century Women (2024)To Express the Ineffable: The Hymns and Spirituality of Anne Steele (2009)Previous Podcast AppearancesChild Centred Theology and the Spiritual Formation of Children in the 18th CenturyCalled to Be Friends (with Dr. David Robinson)Friendship Recentred (with Dr. Maxine Hancock)Puritan Treasures (with Jenny-lyn de Klerk)Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter
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Dr. Beth Allison Barr: The Rise of the Pastor's Wife and the Diminishment of Women's Ordination
In our second in this mini-series on Women in Theology, we sit down with a powerhouse in the world of the History of Christianity, Dr. Beth Allison Barr. In her return to the podcast, Beth discusses her new book, Becoming the Pastor’s Wife: How Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman's Path to Ministry. Starting with Peter’s wife and walking through early church, Medieval, and Reformation history, we explore the evolving and shifting roles of women in the church. We also examine the roots and implications of contemporary complementarian theology and its influence on the rise of the pastor’s wife as a position of power in the church. Beth focuses on the history within her tradition, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), and reveals the sobering reality of unaddressed clergy abuse which coincided with the revocation of women’s ordination in the SBC in the 1980s.Beth’s book is releasing on March 18, 2025 and will be available in the Regent Bookstore as well as other good bookstores.Note: This episode references clergy abuse and domestic violence. Please take care and determine whether this is beneficial listening for you today. BioDr. Beth Allison Barr is the James Vardaman Endowed Professor of History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Her research focuses on women and religion in medieval and early modern England, with particular attention to vernacular sermons and devotional literature. In her work, she also examines how the advent of Protestantism affected women in Christianity and explores medieval perceptions of women in religious literature across the Reformation era. PublicationsBecoming the Pastor’s Wife: How Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman's Path to Ministry (2025)The Making of Biblical Womanhood (2021)The Pastoral Care of Women in Late Medieval England (2008)Previous Podcast AppearancesThe Cost of Forgetting Women in Church History (April 2024)Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter
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