ACADEMIA

Reviews on Resources for Biblical and Theological Studies

Lee, Daniel D. 2022. Doing Asian American Theology: A Contextual Framework for Faith and Practice. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic. Pages: xii+217. ISBN: 9781514000823

Written By: Paulson Pulikottil - Jan• 31•23

Lee explores a framework for doing theology by and for the Asian Americans. It is part of his own journey as a Korean American migrant who spent major part of his adult life in the United States.

At the very outset of the book, he highlights his own journey as an Asian Christian from the reformed tradition in a white male dominated society. This experience ignites his theological reflection.

He explores the issue of contextuality and particularity in the first two chapters. He concludes that the election of the people of God and covenant with them is the context for theological reflection. So, this paves the way to his conclusion that “Asian American Theology is about God revealed in Jesus Christ.”

The heart of the book is the third chapter where he suggests a quadrilateral as the heuristic tool for interpreting Asian American experience. Asian American Quadrilateral (AAQ) is the intersection of Asian heritage, migration experience, American culture, and racialization.

The rest of the book elaborates on this quadrilateral (AAQ). However, the last two chapters scrutinize the personal and communal aspects of Asian American theology. Here the pastor in Lee comes to the forefront prescribing trauma theory and interpersonal neurobiology to manage the Asian American experience in the white dominated context.

The book indeed offers fresh theological insights on the Asian American experience and how to manage it positively.