Re-entry is always an interesting process. For me, the biggest challenge this week has been convincing my body to readjust to California time. I still want to sleep all day and be up all night. That aside, I have begun to see and talk to friends and family. Everyone wants to know- "How was Asia?" It is such a big question and the experience is incredibly difficult to package into a small and convenient answer. So instead, I find myself offering bits and pieces of the experience to those who will listen. This is also frustrating, as it does not fully illustrate the way that the experience has and will continue to impact me. But the truth is, I am unsure of its impact. I do know that the last two weeks were an amazing opportunity to get to know a fabulous group of fellow PSR/GTU community members, connect with people in many different countries, and most importantly, continue to broaden my world view. I shared an image with the group during our closing ritual that I think best conveys what the trip was for me- a blossoming lotus flower. Our immersion experience in Southeast Asia has opened me farther and will continue to allow me to blossom fully into who and what I am to be in this world.
Many thanks to EVERYONE who made it possible for us to go on this trip: donors, fundraisers, staff, faculty, my fellow travelers, loved ones at home, speakers, the people that we met with, and all the individuals and communities that welcomed us with open arms during our trip. This trip was a huge blessing for me and certainly will be a highlight of my seminary experience.
Discussion Calendar
- Jan06 Depart SFO
- Jan07 JK & MT
- Jan08 Kelly: LGBT/Prog. mvmts
- Jan09 Emily: Globalization/sex trafficking
- Jan10 Susie: Islamic symbols/rituals
- Jan11 Gary: Interreligious dialogue
- Jan12 Abby: Neocolonialism
- Jan13 Hoang-Anh: Tourism
- Jan14 (Worship) Alan: Missionary mvmts
- Jan15 JK & MT
- Jan16 Candis: Youth/leadership/resistance & hope
- Jan17 Amy & Melissa: Amerasian/children
- Jan18 Pat: Indigenous symbols/rituals
- Jan19 Theresa: Theologies of hope
- Jan20 JK, MT, Ginny
- Jan21 Return to SFO
Course Description
While Vietnam and Malaysia are both post-colonial Southeast Asian nations with a long history of colonial domination, they have very distinctive socio-cultural, political, and religious realities. This travel seminar seeks to introduce participants to the religious landscapes in these two distinctive contexts. Attention will also be given to the study of theology in Malaysia and Vietnam. There will also be short visits to theological institutions & sight-seeing opportunities in Hong Kong and Singapore. The seminar counts as a contextual learning course for PSR M.Div. students by providing experiences for cross-cultural and multi-relgious encounters and exchanges, as well as immersion in the cultures and everyday life of peoples and local communities in the regions which we will be visiting.
In this seminar, participants will:
- 1. Visit a number of theological and religious institutions located in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam—including Protestant and Catholic seminaries, Buddhist temples and pagodas, Muslim mosques, Hindu temples;
- 2. Visit vestiges and sites of cultural and political significance—for example, the Chi Lin Nunnery and Fish Gate in Hong Kong; the Haw Par Villa, Lit-tle India, and Kampong Glam in Singapore; A Famosa, Batu Caves, and Dataran Merdeka in Malaysia; the Cu Chi tunnels, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Thap Ba Ponagar, Dam Market, Thap Cham Phan Rang of Vietnam;
- 3. Engage in dialogue with seminary faculty & students, religious leaders, and community activists to gain insights on the cultural and religious landscapes of Malaysia and Vietnam for the understanding of the negotia-tions between religion and state under the ideologies of “rukunegara” (Malaysia’s Principles of Nationhood) and “doi moi” (Vietnam’s economic reform policy);
- 4. Read selected articles, research web resources, and do additional research necessary to gain knowledge on a particular issue of their choice related to any of the themes presented in the course description;
- 5. Learn what it takes to cultivate a disposition of receptivity and reflexivity for engaging cultural and religious “otherness”; and the importance of re-flecting on one’s social location for critical social analysis and theological construction that takes seriously context and partnerships with communi-ties;
- 6. Engage in self-critical reflection, connecting the personal to social, one’s own social location with the cultural-religious contexts of others; and ar-ticulate how this immersion contributes to one’s formation as a religious leader in one’s future context(s).
1 comment:
Well spoken, Abby. I've begun paying attention to what I tell to certain people. Most fascinating is what my audience chooses to ask about SEA, what they want to hear, and what they react to. It says a lot about the people I interact w/ on a daily basis here in the Bay Area.
Post a Comment