A Postcolonial Self: Korean Immigrant Theology and Church - Softcover

Choi, Hee An

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1438457367 ISBN 13: 9781438457369

Publisher: State University of New York Press, 2016

Synopsis

A theologically informed look at the postcolonial self that forms as Korean immigrants confront life in the United States.

Theologian Choi Hee An explores how Korean immigrants create a new, postcolonial identity in response to life in the United States. A Postcolonial Self begins with a discussion of a Korean ethnic self ("Woori" or "we") and how it differs from Western norms. Choi then looks at the independent self, the theological debates over this concept, and the impact of racism, sexism, classism, and postcolonialism on the formation of this self. She concludes with a look at how Korean immigrants, especially immigrant women, cope with the transition to US culture, including prejudice and discrimination, and the role the Korean immigrant church plays in this. Choi posits that an emergent postcolonial self can be characterized as "I and We with Others." In Korean immigrant theology and church, an extension of this can be characterized as "radical hospitality," a concept that challenges both immigrants and American society to consider a new mutuality.

About this title

About the Author

Choi Hee An is Clinical Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Boston University School of Theology and the author of Korean Women and God: Experiencing God in a Multi-Religious Colonial Context.

Edition details

• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1438457367
• ISBN 13: 9781438457369
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 196