Library resources include subscriptions to the major psychology and theology research databases, online journal packages, a physical collection of academic books, fiction, and poetry, and a rich film collection uniquely curated for the 天美视频 community. In addition, we provide access to an ever-increasing collection of more than 200,000 electronic books in a wide range of academic disciplines.

Digital versions of required and heavily utilized books are added to our collection when they are available for institutional purchase and are within budgetary allowances. Links to those books will be on the class pages in and in the library catalog.

We look forward to meeting you and gathering together in the building or via Zoom. Whether you are on campus for Seattle classes or for the residencies, you will find that the library shares space with the school鈥檚 front desk, the Commons (our student lounge), and the bookstore. We in the library endeavor to be a warm, welcoming (but not always quiet) place to connect with fellow students, find help with projects and research, eat lunch, have a cup of coffee, or even grab a nap (on quiet days).

Your library staff includes:

will be transitioning from the Director of Library Services into part time Consulting Librarian this summer. Cheryl has also served as the Director of Institutional Assessment. This involves coordinating our accreditation efforts and providing support to our academic and administrative departments as they seek to continually evaluate and improve our programs, classes, and services. Cheryl loves to travel and enjoys the antics of her granddaughters, husband Paul, and her yellow Labrador, Sam.

Sam Skillern is our rising Library Services Manager. Sam鈥檚 responsibilities include library circulation, retrieving materials from online databases, maintaining the collection, and converting materials into accessible formats. You may also occasionally see him greeting people at the front desk. Sam鈥檚 hobbies include playing Dungeons and Dragons and collecting LEGOs and Transformers. He鈥檚 also into Star Wars, Marvel, fantasy, and sci-fi and likes trying new restaurants with his wife Jessica, spending time with his brother Drew, and hanging out with friends.听听

part-time Library Specialist. Mary鈥檚 official responsibility is obtaining interlibrary loans from other university libraries for items we don鈥檛 have. Her primary passion is film, and she thoroughly enjoys discussions about the relative merits and faults of new and classic movies. Mary attends the Seattle International Film Festival, and the knowledge she gains from this experience is the primary reason we have such a robust film collection.

Warmly,

Cheryl, Sam & Mary

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These books are not required for any particular course, but instead are a peek into our hearts and minds as we enter this new season.

As you discern what books you鈥檇 like to add to your summer list, we invite you to consult and consider buying a book from a Black-owned independent bookstore.

Community Recommendations
	by Padriag O鈥橳uama听 Recommended by Millicent Haase, MDiv ’21, Admissions Counselor听 From master storyteller and host of On Being’s Poetry Unbound, P谩draig 脫 Tuama, comes an unforgettable memoir of peace and reconciliation, Celtic spirituality, belonging, and sexual identity. 鈥�It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.鈥澨�
	by Cole Arthur Riley听 Recommended by McKenna Hight, MDiv ’24 This quote from the introduction sets the frame: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER: In her stunning debut, the creator of Black Liturgies weaves stories from three generations of her family alongside contemplative reflections to discover the 鈥渘ecessary rituals鈥� that connect us with our belonging, dignity, and liberation.听听 鈥淭o be human in an aching world is to know our dignity and become people who safeguard the dignity of everything around us.鈥澨�
	by Dr. Angela Parker听 Recommended by McKenna Hight, MDiv ’24 A challenge to the doctrine of biblical inerrancy that calls into question how Christians are taught more about the way of Whiteness than the way of Jesus.听 鈥淚n essence, If God Still Breathes, Why Can鈥檛 I allows me to hold the idea of Scripture as authoritative while interrogating the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility as tools of White supremacist thought that promote the erasure of communal memory.鈥澨�

More Community Recommendations:

Cheryl Goodwin, Director of Institutional Assessment and Library Services 听

• by Brian McClaren听

Daniel Tidwell-Davis, Director of Student & Academic Services听

• 听 by Ash Van Oterloo听
• by James Alison听

Jana Peterson, MDiv ’21 & current theology doctoral student at 听

• by Randy Woodley听
• by Steven Heinrichs听
• by Robin Wall Kimmerer听
• by Osheta Moore
• by Jennifer Grace Bird Dr. Ron Ruthruff, Associate Professor of Theology and Culture

Dr. Joel Kiekintveld, Adjunct Faculty, Listening Lab Leader听

• by Randy Woodley听
• by Hartmut Rosa听
• by Andrew Root and Blair D. Bertrand听
• by James K. A. Smith听

Katrina Fitzpatrick, Assistant Instructor听

• by Richard Twiss听
• by Kristin Kobes Du Mez听听
• by Randy Woodley and Bo Sanders听
• by Isabel Wilkerson听

Krista Law, MACP ’12 & MATC ’13, Enrollment Manager听

• by Wil Gafney听

Lauren Peiser, Director of Partnerships听

• by Matthias Roberts听

Mackenzie Martin, Academic Advisor听

• by Rebecca Roanhorse听

Dr. Maria Fee, Adjunct Faculty听

• by Willie James Jennings听
• by Courtney Bryant听
• by Patrick Bringley
• by Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt
• by Lucretia B. Yaghjian
• by Madeleine L’Engle

Dr. O鈥橠onnell Day, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology

• by Patrick Casement
• by M Fakhry Davids
• by Narendra Keval
• by Frank Lowe
• by Thomas Ogden听

Dr. Paul Hoard, Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology

• by Stephen Mitchell and Margaret Black
• by John Caputo听
• by Resmaa Menakem
• by Richard Mitchell
• by Neil Postman听听
• by Daniel Jose Gaztambide听
• by Emily Nagoski听
• by Slavoj Zizek听
• by Bessel van der Kolk听
• by Julia Serano听

Dr. Ron Ruthruff, Associate Professor of Theology and Culture

• by Philip S Gorski and Samuel Perry
• by Andrew Whitehead听
• by Pamela Cooper White听
• by Joshua Bloom and Waldo E. Martin JR听听

Dr. Pat Loughery, Affiliate Faculty听听

• by Rob Walker 听
• by Becky Chambers
• by Oliver Burkeman

Jeanette Scott, MACP ’08, Practicum Leader

• by Colin Woodard

We look forward to being in conversation with you about the places your own readings and curiosities take you this summer when we enter into learning together this fall. Until then, we hope each of us can find some good time in the sun.

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That鈥檚 part of why we seek to foster thoughtful spaces for connection and reflection in our community. We believe something holy and vital happens when we gather in prayer, song, and silence, and when we remember that our individual journeys of formation are intimately connected to each other and to our collective journey. Recently, a group of staff and students initiated a weekly Taiz茅 gathering, an opportunity to gather in a prayerful, liturgical space as a way to help ground each other and re-orient to our work together.

鈥淚n grad school, life can get really busy and hectic,鈥� says Megan Doner, Master of Divinity student and facilitator of the Sacred Space realm of Student Leadership. 鈥淭aiz茅 creates this beautiful space that is doing the work of allowing us to connect with God, allowing us to connect with each other, in such a beautiful form of worship.鈥�

鈥淭aiz茅 creates this beautiful space that is doing the work of allowing us to connect.鈥�

Taiz茅 is named for a monastic community in France known for simple, repetitive songs, reflections, and prayers that express an ecumenical commitment to peace and social justice. The short songs with simple language is designed to welcome a diversity of backgrounds, and the quiet space and repetition allow our bodies to settle more fully in the midst of whatever stress and anxiety we may have arrived with.

In the video above, Heather Barnes (MDiv, 鈥�15), Director of Institutional Support, shares more about the nature of Taiz茅 and why she鈥檚 excited to help bring this rhythm to 天美视频. We also talked more with Megan Doner about why Student Leadership prioritizes fostering intentional space for our community to rest, wrestle, and play together.

鈥淲hen we may not have the words we need to be able to say I鈥檓 sorry, or I鈥檓 curious, or I鈥檓 scared, or I鈥檓 afraid, or that I don鈥檛 know you well enough but is it possible we could move in a new way together?鈥攊f we don鈥檛 have the words, sometimes we can do that together in the room through the music, and let the music hold a lot of the things that we don鈥檛 have the words for,鈥� says Heather.

Additional thanks to those who have helped bring this practice into our space: Rebekah Vickery, Jonathan Coopersmith, Daniel Tidwell, Becca Shirley, Jodi Bagge, Caitlin McDanel. Beginning again on May 7, we will gather for Taiz茅 every Tuesday at 12:15pm in the fourth floor Chapel. Learn more on our event calendar.

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In the face of systems that seek to divide, belittle, and harm certain people based on some aspect of their humanity, this affirmation is nothing less than an act of resistance. And resistance, like all prophetic work, requires a deep well from which we can draw. What inspires your resistance? How is your own humanity affirmed even as you鈥檙e working to affirm others? What spiritual formation practices might grow the depth and clarity of your work in the world?

We brought those questions to folks in our community and put together this list of recommendations. May these resources bring rest, fresh insight, renewed hope, and an emboldened sense that we are not alone as we work against de-humanizing systems.

鈥淚鈥檓 eager to go beyond theologies of suffering and survival to also examine the theologies of life, flourishing, strength, meaning-making, and #blackgirlmagic that stem from black women鈥檚 experiences and perspectives.鈥� 鈥揇r. Christena Cleveland

This is a stunning, revolutionary series Dr. Cleveland is facilitating during Lent, grounded in the conviction that 鈥減atriarchy and whiteness need to be exorcised from biblical interpretation.鈥� If you find that high Church rhythms feel too entwined with historically oppressive systems, we can鈥檛 recommend this series enough. You can , then become a patron to follow the rest.

Christena Cleveland鈥檚 work above feels so crucial because, in part, the dominant expressions have for too long been aligned with the patriarchal, white supremacist forces that undergird oppressive systems. In , two pastor-historians offer compelling historical accounts of the American Church鈥檚 role in harmful power structures, and Lisa Sharon Harper and Dr. Soong-Chan Rah then share vital theological reflections and words of confession and repentance. If human affirmation is an act of Christian resistance, then confession and repentance are at once social and spiritual practices. We鈥檙e grateful to this book for demonstrating that so powerfully.

At the heart of confession and repentance is the dynamic expression of lament. Lament is the declaration that this is not right, the grief that our embodiment of God鈥檚 image falls so short of the Christological affirmation of humanity. From the somber confession of Ash Wednesday to the anguish of Holy Saturday, lament is at the heart of Lent. This episode of , a project from Aaron Niequist and friends, is a guided journey of music, prayer, and scripture that creates space for lament to do its work.

We鈥檝e shared this one before, but we keep coming back to it. Many folks in our community resonate with the thought-provoking, contemplative art by Scott Erickson, and we particularly love the prayerbook he created with Justin McRoberts. If you’re looking to add some depth and beauty to the rhythms of your spiritual practice鈥攏ot just during Lent鈥攖his is a beautiful place to start.

A number of folks also recommended the from artist, author, and minister Jan Richardson. Each week, this blog features a reflection on a text from the lectionary, accompanied by a work of original art. We believe that integrating art with spiritual formation will deepen and energize our practice, and Jan鈥檚 work explores this beautifully.

For years, the work of Richard Rohr has challenged our assumptions, opening us to an image of Christ that is bigger, bolder, and more open than we ever imagined. is no different. Rohr guides us through a series of readings for the Lenten season (and beyond), encouraging us to grow into people who are more and more open to surprising, transformative encounters.

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So as we near the end of February, we asked faculty, staff, and students to weigh in on texts by Black authors that have challenged, provoked, enlightened, and inspired them. The stories and ideas recommended here are enough to keep us reading and learning all year long. And may it be so.

by Angela Davis
鈥淭his woman is an idol to me鈥攑rofoundly courageous, thoughtful, able to see and speak to intersections between race, class, gender, and systems of oppression, like few I have read. This woman lost her professorship to a threatened governor of California, Ronald Reagan. She went to court and took it back!鈥� 鈥�Dr. Ron Ruthruff, Associate Professor of Theology & Culture

by Charlene A. Carruthers
鈥淭his book offers collected insights on collective liberation that are clear and deeply personal, by way of Black liberation and the Black radical tradition. Carruthers offers a critical voice rooted in 鈥楤lack radical, feminist, queer, and anti-capitalist theories and practices.鈥� It is fire and it offers readers a way to sharpen their views and action.鈥� 鈥�Jennifer Fernandez, Assistant Instructor

by Terrance Hayes
鈥淭he poems in this collection are crafted with a velocity that burned as I read and is burning still, months after finishing. With an ear to history and an eye on the present, Hayes writes about Black life in a country that has demonized and violated Blackness for centuries. Both political and personal, his work astutely diagnoses our national systems while still packing the romance and desire of a classic sonnet. The relationship between prophet and artist has never seemed clearer to me.鈥� 鈥�Beau Denton, Content Curator

by Ijeoma Oluo
鈥淥luo鈥檚 work is a powerful, enlightening, and accessible 鈥榓ctionable exploration of today’s racial landscape, offering straightforward clarity that readers of all races need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divide.鈥� With chapter titles such as 鈥榃hat is Racism?,鈥� 鈥榃hat If I Talk about Race Wrong?,鈥� 鈥榃hat are Microaggressions?,鈥� and 鈥楾alking is Great, but What Else Can I Do?,鈥� Oluo’s work should be required reading for all.鈥� 鈥揗illicent Haase, Master of Divinity student

by Angie Thomas
鈥淪everal months ago I read The Hate U Give and found it profoundly impacting. It helped me to see in a small way what it must be like to be a young woman of color trying to be herself while also trying to fit in to both the exclusive, predominantly white high school she attends and the poor, diverse neighborhood where she lives. It is a Young Adult book, fairly easy to read on the surface, and very thought-provoking both while you are reading it and as you process it later.鈥� 鈥�Cheryl Goodwin, Director of Institutional Assessment & Library Services

by Ibram X. Kendi
鈥淚 dare you to read a book on history for Black History Month. You will discover that racist ideas don鈥檛 create systems of oppression, but rather systems of oppression need racist ideas to do the evil and intentional work of racism. Thank you, Dr. Kendi.鈥� 鈥揇r. Ron Ruthruff

by James Baldwin
鈥淚 grew up reading novels by Baldwin but this was the first book of his essays that I picked up, and it changed me. The spiritual work being done by Baldwin in these pages is arduous as it demands that the reader think differently, see differently, do differently. His reflections are just as relevant today as they were in 1955 when they were written.鈥� 鈥揓ennifer Fernandez

For contemporary fiction, Kate Davis, Director of the Resilient Leaders Project, offers a few recommendations:

• Anything by Toni Morrison, but both and have stayed with me for their personal-meets-mythic/biblical narratives.
• by Zadie Smith, which (among many other themes) offers complex views on religious differences in family dynamics.
• by Yaa Gyasi crosses continents to lament the legacy of slavery both in North America and in Africa.
• by Nigerian author Ayobami Adebayo struck me for framing relationship choices within context (what we think of as 鈥榗onservative鈥欌�攎onogamy鈥攊s wildly progressive for the protagonists) and for the devastating impact of religious beliefs on a woman鈥檚 body and mental wellbeing.

Further Reading:

• by Kelly Brown Douglas
• by Jeff Chang
• by Pamela Lightsey
• by Michael Eric Dyson
• by Colson Whitehead
• by Paul Beatty
• by Tomi Adeyemi
• by N.K. Jemisin

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鈥淚nstructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.鈥�
鈥揗ary Oliver

On January 17, for just a few hours, part of our collective online life seemed to take on a different tone. The usual frenzy was jarred by news of Mary Oliver鈥檚 death, and as word spread it set the Internet afire with grief and gratitude and poetry. Given the storms underway around us and the anxious pace of our discourse, Mary鈥檚 quiet prevalence that day reflects something of how unique she was, how holy the gifts she left us.

In my corner of the Internet, this phenomenon was especially noticeable among my 天美视频 friends and colleagues鈥攂ecause few voices have seeped into the pulse of this community so thoroughly and so generously. Of course, certain writers shape a pivotal moment in particular classes: first-year students often develop a begrudging affection for Martin Buber and his fondness for talking to trees; Harry Middleton鈥檚 gorgeous memoir The Earth Is Enough prompts an assignment with which Dan Allender鈥檚 students are on a first-name basis; in theology classes, many students bond in common conviction and inspiration under the work of James Cone; and Annie Rogers鈥檚 A Shining Affliction is a beloved rite of passage in the Counseling Psychology program.

Fewer writers, though, manage to impact the rhythms and tones of life in our red brick building even when they are not officially assigned in class. And perhaps none have done so with as much resonance as Mary Oliver鈥攁 matriarch of 天美视频 whose words stir somewhere deep in the heart of this place.

With the authority of a voice at home with itself, Mary called us to listen and pay attention. Sometimes her call came as a gentle whisper, and other times it felt more like a slap in the face: look up, at the gray sky you take for granted; look down, at the wet soil knotted with roots; look in, at the self you have forgotten. In a way, she was echoing that other Mary, who teaches us that even the bravado of wise men and the chaos of exile might evoke in us a moment of attentive pondering.

鈥淚n a way, she was echoing that other Mary, who teaches us that even the bravado of wise men and the chaos of exile might evoke in us a moment of attentive pondering.鈥�

But attention itself is not the goal, learning from her long-time partner Molly: 鈥淎ttention without feeling, I began to learn, is only a report. An openness鈥攁n empathy鈥攚as necessary if the attention was to matter.鈥� It鈥檚 why her famous 鈥渋nstructions for living a life鈥� don鈥檛 end at 鈥減ay attention,鈥� though that is the crucial point from which everything else follows. Instead, attention leads to astonishment, and astonishment turns us toward others. It seems that the work of paying attention and opening ourselves to wonder is not complete until it also deepens our capacity for love.

Love, then, is where Mary leads us, and it鈥檚 why the Internet, for just a moment, felt like such a kind place on that sad day. Because so many of us, in one way or another, learned something from Mary about what it means to love. In the profound simplicity of her work, she assured us that love is not resounding gongs and clanging cymbals. In her long, inquisitive walks she proclaimed that presence and attunement are the elements of love, and that those are grown through the repetition and discipline of ritual. And in not shying from grief after her partner鈥檚 death, she reminded us that love can be excruciating and raw鈥攖hat it sometimes comes as a gift in

Mary taught us again and again that love is most fully itself when it is omnidirectional: outward, inward, up, down, around鈥攅ach avenue nourished by and dependent upon the others. If you treat the with impatience and contempt, she seemed to be asking us, how can you hope to love others any differently? If you stop listening to the earth and all that breathes and pulses around you, how can you maintain the intrigue that gives love wings? And if you are not at home in your own self, will you ever be home anywhere else?

Somehow, when Mary鈥檚 work asked big questions or spoke a truth that shot like lightning through our bones, it never felt as if she was lecturing or preaching at us. She offered a small thing well said, a bit like walking on the beach with a friend who stoops to collect a seashell. 鈥淗ere,鈥� she says, dropping it into our palm, 鈥渓ook what I found.鈥� Then she鈥檚 off, continuing her walk and letting us decide what to do with her gift.

That is why she could reach refrigerator-magnet-level prevalence and still feel as if she was speaking directly to you, her reader. When she said, it was both a universal proclamation and the close comfort of a dear friend, offering a cup of tea to bring our anxious frenzy back to the earth. She was both wise teacher and gentle companion.

There are some who were skeptical of this, who believed that Mary鈥檚 presence on Pinterest and postcards must mean her work was somehow less beautiful or important. Her critics often championed the suspicious belief that popularity betrays a work as shallow or false, like the easy pleasure and empty insight you might find on Top 40 radio. But I would argue that Mary鈥檚 widespread resonance was deeper than that. She saw something true of our world and ourselves, and she offered it to us as a free gift鈥攕imply wrapped, shyly given, no strings attached. And we loved her for it.

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Most of us are creatures of habit. When we come into a classroom or a church service, we sit in the same place. Most of us have a morning routine that we follow, at least during the work-week. Life is simply more manageable if there are patterns.

We should therefore expect that some of the first words the angel says to Mary will be 鈥淒o not be afraid.鈥� An angel鈥檚 appearance is surprising, out of the ordinary, not at all routine. Luke tells us that Mary was much perplexed by the angel Gabriel鈥檚 greeting, and I can easily believe that; 鈥渕uch perplexed鈥� is probably an understatement. (Luke 1:30)

Often the phrase 鈥渄o not be afraid鈥� is spoken by a messenger from God when the people of God are in a difficult spot and a word comes to them that God is with them. This is the case when the LORD appears to Hagar, the Egyptian slave girl who had been cast into the desert with her son by a jealous Sarah. She thinks she and her child will die for lack of water. But the angel of God calls to her, 鈥淒o not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy.鈥� (Genesis 21:17) Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, hears these words in a vision when he is departing from the land given to his grandfather. He is going to Egypt because there is no food in the land of promise. (Genesis 46:3) These are also God鈥檚 reassuring words to Jeremiah and Ezekiel as the prophets anticipate push-back from a people who will not want to hear their words of judgement. (Jeremiah 1:8 and Ezekiel 2:6)

But occasionally the phrase comes when God announces that something out of the ordinary is about to happen. An angel of the LORD appears out of the blue (pardon the pun) and announces the unusual: 鈥淒o not be afraid, God is about to do something entirely unexpected.鈥� 鈥淒o not be afraid, Abram, old man with no child, you will have so many descendants that you will not be able to count them.鈥� (Genesis. 15:1) 鈥淒o not be afraid, my chosen people exiled to a foreign land, I will pour out my spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring.鈥� (Isaiah 44:1-8) 鈥淒o not be afraid, virgin, you will bear a son whose kingdom will not end.鈥� (Luke 1:30-33)

If we listen, scripture shapes our image of God. By these four words, we are taught to believe that God will come to us, to save us, when we are in a difficult spot. We need not fear because God cares for us. Our God is this sort of God鈥攁 God who saves. But we are also taught to understand that our salvation may not come in a way that we were anticipating. Our God is also this sort of God鈥攁 God of surprising actions.

鈥淚f we listen, scripture shapes our image of God. By these four words, we are taught to believe that God will come to us, to save us, when we are in a difficult spot.鈥�

And these two truths help us live with hope. With Hagar we hope for water in the desert. With Jacob we hope for a future in foreign territory. With Jeremiah and Ezekiel, we hope for defense when we stand for the truth God has made known to us. But we also need to hope remembering that God鈥檚 purposes might be fulfilled in an unexpected way. Old men are given descendants. Displaced people are given God鈥檚 Spirit. A virgin bears a child who saves the world. In this way, listening to the words of scripture also shapes us so that we are conformed to the image of God鈥檚 Son. We learn to hope for life, for life is also the desire of God, and we learn to be open to the appearance of life in surprising ways, sometimes with great personal cost. Who expected that a death on a Roman cross would enable life for the world?

2018 was a hard year to be a Christian. People who claim Christian faith act for power rather than life. There are millions of people all over the world displaced by wars, famine, and natural disasters who have nowhere to go. Nations think that they have exhausted their capacity for hospitality to strangers. There is a heightened rhetoric of hate and intolerance. Long-standing, buried prejudices are openly displayed. Destruction because of the damage we have inflicted on the creation is obvious everywhere. Human life is unmanageable, out of control. We join Isaiah in lament and prayer: We have long been like those whom you do not rule, like those not called by your name. O that you would tear open the heavens and come down. (Isaiah 63:19-64:1) We can only hope for a different world in 2019鈥攈ope for the coming down of the LORD.

鈥淲e learn to hope for life, for life is also the desire of God, and we learn to be open to the appearance of life in surprising ways, sometimes with great personal cost.鈥�

Advent is a time of hope. It is a time when we remind ourselves of God鈥檚 eternal commitment to life and we open ourselves to new visions of the ways of God. It is a time when we are called to prepare to participate in God鈥檚 work, to make watching for God part of our habit.

But God does not always work in predictable ways. God will be God. Advent preparation also includes adjusting our expectations of how God will come because we remember the surprising way in which God did come: to a virgin, as a child. Advent is not for the faint of heart.

The call of Advent is to respond to God as Mary did: 鈥淗ere I am, a virgin and servant of the Lord. I can bear this child, let me be participate in your purposes, according to your word.鈥� It is to hear the voice of the angel, 鈥淒o not fear.鈥�

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What drew you to this class in the first place?

I was a Disney fan when I was a little girl. Like other girls, I was so fascinated by fairy tales and dreamed of being a princess, but I was not aware of the implications that those stories hold. When this class was offered exploring feminist ideas in Disney stories, I felt the need to trace back what I’ve learned and uncover something different.

Can you tell us about your final project and how the idea came to you?

When Kj offered the final project idea, I started to think about something familiar with which I could bring some multicultural perspectives connected to the theme. I tried to look through all the Disney films, and Mulan came to my mind suddenly. It is a perfect topic for me since I was quite familiar with it when I was young, most Americans are also familiar with the Disney version, and Mulan is a feminist figure which fits the work of this course. So I decided to talk about the Mulan story under the different cultural lens.

What did the story of Mulan mean to you as a child?

I actually saw Mulan as my hero when I was a child. I could recite the when I was in primary school. There were also dramas and musical performances based on the story of Mulan in my country. Such a female character was deeply rooted in my mind, and I wished to become a heroine like her鈥攖o do the right things, be kind, and try my best to help others. Maybe her obstinateness touched me in my early life and let me become who I am.

What are some of the main differences between the original and the American version?

First, they have a different emphasis. The original Mulan story emphasized filial piety to the family and loyalty to the monarch, whereas the Disney version of Mulan has a strong highlight on how the woman can do the same as the man, or even better. Second, the story鈥檚 structure changed in the American version. Disney added the romantic love between Mulan and General Xiang, and Mulan saved the emperor at the end of the film, which we didn’t see in the Chinese version of Mulan. Third, the Disney version spends a lot of time to draw on the service life of Mulan and offers a strong feminist idea on the Mulan figure, which is barely seen in the original Mulan. Although the original Mulan has a sort of feminist idea, it is implicit.

Why does it seem important to compare these versions, to look at how a story is told differently in different contexts?

Seeing the story in multicultural contexts reveals different ideas. From where we are born and our different cultures, we can think about things in totally different ways. Through a Western lens, the feminist Mulan fights for her country and becomes a hero, but through a Chinese view, Mulan is a brave woman who feels concern for her parents and loyalty to where she belongs. What a difference we can see when we compare and contrast the same story in different contexts.

鈥淲hat a difference we can see when we compare and contrast the same story in different contexts.鈥�

How has the work of comparing these stories impacted your understanding of feminist thought?

This was the first time I tried to explore different interpretations of Chinese feminism and other feminist thought. Feminism in the Mulan stories varies based on each cultural lens, and it changes with time and the backdrop of history. I started to realize that a multicultural perspective is helpful to understand each version of feminism. Different critics criticize the same story using their cultural lens. For instance, some American critics see Disney鈥檚 Mulan as an anti-feminist film because it contains gender stereotype and sexism. At the same time, the Mulan figure in the Disney movie is the first female character who is neither a princess nor born into a wealthy family. The audience, basically girls in all classes of families, are able to see that they are equal to men and can reach what they want through hard work (which can be connected to the ethos of the 鈥淎merican dream鈥� during the 19th and 20th centuries). It depends on which perspective I choose to stand.

What was most surprising to you as you worked on this?

In my research, I was aware of how Chinese feminism is changing with Chinese history. The meaning of it must be informed by the specific historical circumstance. As the researcher Feng Lan has written, the old Chinese feminist is implicit within Chinese philosophical ideas of gender roles; whereas not many females can speak out publicly under a patriarchal society, rather the communist Chinese view of feminism involves much activity in either family or social work under Mao Zedong鈥檚 communist revolution. Meanwhile in Disney鈥檚 Mulan, we can see the strong Western view of feminism, which doesn鈥檛 fit into the historical Chinese background鈥攊t is Americanized Chinese feminism. It is a clear image of influences based on cultural differences, and a reminder that Chinese Feminism cannot be interpreted individually.

Overall, how do you think this class has impacted you? How might it affect your ongoing studies?

This class drew me into a fantasy world which I felt close to but unfamiliar with. I thought I knew those stories well already, such as Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, but I hadn鈥檛 yet known their implications on feminist thought. Exploring the interpretations of these stories, and looking at the historical context underneath, is a field I had never worked in before, which is exciting to me. Because I was born in a communist country, all I learned is Asian ways of thinking, affected by ancient Chinese philosophers. Learning about American feminism and different ideas of seeing fairy tales has given me a broader space to think about stories and consider theories in my future studies.

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The genesis for the 鈥淒isney, Fairy Tales, and Feminist Theory鈥� class actually started in Summer 2012 when Jev Forsberg (Master of Divinity, 鈥�12) and I co-taught, 鈥淐ultural Exegesis: Pop Culture and the Kingdom鈥� with Dr. Derek McNeil. That was the summer I really noticed a boom in fairy tale film and TV adaptations, especially revision-minded fairy tales attempting to address problematic issues around how female fairy tale heroines (mostly princesses) were portrayed. That year we had Snow White and the Huntsman, Mirror, Mirror, as well as the first seasons of ABC/Disney鈥檚 Once Upon a Time and NBC鈥檚 Grimm.

In that class, we encouraged some students to explore these retold fairy tales for their final projects that summer, but I kept pursuing my own questions on the subject, a path which took me to Reykjavik, Iceland three summers later for an academic conference where I compared the themes of patriarchal curses within recent film adaptations of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. While I still begrudgingly give credit to the popularity of Stephanie Meyer鈥檚 Twilight Saga for this renaissance in atmospheric fairy tale retellings (2011鈥檚 Red Riding Hood directed by Catherine Hardwicke par exemple), there are more connections to fairy tales in contemporary culture that I wanted to explore.

With the opportunity to teach another Theological and Cultural Engagement elective class this summer, I saw a chance to explore the intersections of two powerful cultural influencers鈥攆airy tales and the Walt Disney corporation鈥攁s an introduction to applying feminist critical theory to cultural texts. There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about fairy tales, both about how they鈥檝e been passed down and how they鈥檝e changed over time, but the point of the class wasn鈥檛 to become folklore masters. Rather, it was a chance for us to examine together the seen and unseen ways that stories can shape our sense of identity, agency, and community. Paying attention to a certain genre of story or tale type provides a specific lens on how different cultures communicate about themselves, but it can also help us think about the translation, adaptation, and interpretive traditions surrounding other texts, such as scripture.

“It was a chance for us to examine together the seen and unseen ways that stories can shape our sense of identity, agency, and community.”

I definitely wanted to provide some analytical tools to help unpack the messages that global influencers like Walt Disney have been telling us about what it means to be male, female, young, old, beautiful, monstrous, powerful, or vulnerable, but I also wanted the class to be a space to explore the potency and pleasure of hearing a story you already know being told anew. There is a reason (more than one) that fairy tales continue to be told, retold, adapted, and rewritten, and much of that lies in the fact that the stories are allowed to change. Those in search of the 鈥渢rue鈥� Cinderella or the un-Grimmed Sleeping Beauty or non-Disneyized Snow White will inevitably be frustrated; arguably, it鈥檚 not about finding the 鈥渞ight鈥� version, but about continuing to find new insights and possibilities in how a story might be re-imagined or re-contextualized, and what we might learn about ourselves in the process.

Although the Disney versions may be the default fairy tale versions for most of us, the Grimms were doing just as much cultural editing and adapting a century earlier for their German readers as did Disney for his 20th century movie-goers. What might we learn by paying attention to the patterns, the values, the assumptions, and the aspirations embedded in the stories we keep re-telling, particularly when those stories are largely directed towards children? The central question of the class was 鈥淲hy are we telling these stories?,鈥� and for the last day of class, we held a 鈥淔airy Tale Festival鈥� around this theme. It was three parts mini-academic conference, creative workshop, and storytelling circle. Students had a number of options for their final projects, but whether they wrote a research paper, composed a new fairy tale, or workshopped a screenplay, they had to present it to their classmates. It was four hours that included everything from comparative film analysis to a litany for women wounded within fairy tales. It was pretty magical.

I hope that by spending time not just with some of the histories of how these tales have been translated and transmitted, but also with the ways they have been critiqued, celebrated, and questioned, that students were able to find fruitful connections to their own vocational concerns and formational perspectives. I definitely learned a ton (and went joyously overboard composing bespoke fairy tale playlists each week).

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The prophetic witness of Christians before the State has too often been muted by a surface reading of the Apostle Paul鈥檚 words in Romans 13:1-7, with its infamous 鈥淓very person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God鈥� (Rom. 13:1).

Added to this are Peter鈥檚 words: 鈥淪ubmit yourselves for the Lord鈥檚 sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right鈥� (1 Pet. 2:13-14).

It is critical that we read these verses about submission in their larger contexts and in the light of Jesus鈥� and the Apostles鈥� missionary activity and teaching. When you also deliberately engage with other Scriptures about governing authorities, like Psalm 2 and Revelation 13, a uniquely revolutionary form of resistance emerges that can inform our action in these challenging times.

What is often missed is that Paul and Peter called followers of Jesus to submit to the pagan and brutal Roman Empire. That submission included respecting the rule of law as long as it didn鈥檛 counter the higher allegiance to Christ, honoring those in authority, and humbly accepting the consequences if disobedience was required. Jesus, Peter, and Paul were all arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for their missional activities, and Paul wrote at least four of his Epistles from prison.

Yet Paul still viewed all categories of rulers and authorities governing the world as part of the originally good creation, made by Christ: 鈥淔or by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities鈥攁ll things have been created through him and for him鈥� (Col. 1:16). These non-human entities were viewed as subsequently fallen and rebellious, as the beast which Revelation 13 graphically portrays鈥攂ut still operational until the end.

So Paul and Peter are calling for Christians to be in a kind of subjection to whatever government or political party is in power in these times towards the end of history鈥攚hether that be a democracy, a caliphate, a fascist dictatorship, a monarchy, or maybe even a mafia or gang network that rules a failed state.

Paul and Peter were recommending a course of action so that fragile new faith communities could survive and advance in hostile terrain, while simultaneously bearing witness to Jesus. 鈥淚f possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people鈥� (Rom. 12:18). Their counsel is in part like advice given to prisoners serving a prison sentence, or to people on probation or engaged in drug court who must obey the rules to avoid further trouble.

Their call must not be read as a religious leader鈥檚 endorsement, a statement implying State actions reflect God鈥檚 will, nor the suggestion of a cozy alliance between religious and secular leaders. Jesus, Paul, and Peter called for allegiance to God as highest power: 鈥淵ou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself鈥� (Luke 10:27).

鈥�Jesus, Paul, and Peter called for allegiance to God as highest power.鈥�

Nor do these texts mean that Christians must obey laws that go against conscience, be silent about injustice, or hold back from their highest callings as Jesus鈥� disciples. Jesus resisted authorities when he healed on the Sabbath, cleansed the Temple, and strongly critiqued religious leaders. Peter and Paul went right on preaching when told not to, and willingly suffered the consequences. The first Christians refused military service and worship of Caesar as Lord and suffered torture, imprisonment, and execution. Paul appears to have often considered governing authorities his enemies, writing strong words regarding enemy love right before Romans 13: 鈥淏less those who persecute you; bless and do not curse鈥� and ending with 鈥渄o not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.鈥� (Rom. 12:14, 21).

Jesus鈥� revolutionary submission

Jesus models a quiet authority and confidence before the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, after Pilate asserted his authority to release him or crucify him: 鈥淵ou would have no authority over me, unless it had been given you from above鈥� (John 19:11)鈥攗ltimately from himself! The Apostles saw Jesus鈥� subjecting himself in self-giving love on the cross as the deathblow to the ruler of this world鈥攖he beginning of the end of the reign of the rulers and authorities, which will be judged and finally destroyed (1 Cor. 15:24-27).

Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 must be read in the light of Psalm 2, which begins by asking a question that Christians in America and in many other nations should be asking: 鈥淲hy are the nations in an uproar and the peoples imaging a vain thing?鈥�

Why do we as Christians get so caught up in endorsing political candidates and parties, mirroring the hate-filled political divisions around us? My sense is that many Christians are not adequately informed about the final destiny of the powers and our own unique prophetic vocation.

鈥淢any Christians are not adequately informed about the final destiny of the powers and our own unique prophetic vocation.鈥�

The Psalmist reminds us of the macro divine perspective: 鈥淭he kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed鈥� (Ps. 2:2). Jesus experienced hostility from rulers and authorities, and prophesied his followers would experience the same (Mark 13:9; Luke 12:11)鈥攚hich they did (Acts 4:5). Martyrdom was normative then and is on the rise now.

Christians are called to be subject to governing authorities not because they are good or represent God鈥檚 agenda. Our citizenship is in heaven. Peter urged believers to see themselves as 鈥渁liens and foreigners鈥� right before his words about being subject to authorities, whom he sought to evangelize: 鈥淜eep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation鈥� (1 Peter 2:11-12).

Christian submission to rulers and authorities must be done from a perspective of open-eyed realism about both the rebellious, hostile orientation of the powers against the reign of God and Jesus鈥� greater sovereignty and victory.

鈥淗e who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then he will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his fury, saying, 鈥楤ut as for me, I have installed my King upon Zion, my holy mountain鈥欌�� (Ps. 2:4-6). Jesus is that King, the Son of the Father, come to open the way for us to receive our authority and receive our inheritance as daughters and sons. 鈥淚 will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, 鈥榊ou are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as your possession鈥欌�� (Ps. 2:4-8).

Jesus was installed 鈥淜ing of the Jews鈥� there on the cross. Jesus鈥� submission to rulers and authorities to the point of death on the cross was God鈥檚 secret weapon against Satan and the rebellious powers. God 鈥渄isarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through him [Jesus]鈥� (Col 2:15).

The Psalmist鈥檚 prophetic warning is still in force, putting all Christian submission and resistance into the larger context of Christ鈥檚 victory and destruction of the non-human powers. 鈥溾�榊ou shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall shatter them like earthenware.鈥� Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that he not become angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!鈥� (Ps. 2:9-12).

Psalm 2 brings hope to Christians subjecting themselves to unjust rulers; we know Jesus鈥� submission wins as all authorities will themselves finally submit to Jesus Christ as King. May we learn from the suffering Christ to step into longsuffering prophetic witness now.

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