Assistant Professor of American Religious History Helen Jin Kim has earned multiple honors this spring for her scholarship and teaching, including support for two solo book projects, faculty awards from both Candler and Emory, and inclusion in a national conversation on the Asian American experience.
Kim received a Louisville Institute First Book Grant for Scholars of Color and a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend to support work on her forthcoming book, Sacred Allies: Cold War South Korea and the Rise of American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2021). Using bilingual sources from American and Korean archives and oral histories, Kim’s Sacred Allies will present a Pacific-facing U.S. history never before told that argues that networks built between white fundamentalists and South Korean Protestants during the Korean War (1950-53) were indispensable for making modern American evangelicalism.
Additionally, Kim is a recipient of Emory’s URC-Halle International Research Award, sponsored jointly by the University Research Committee and the Halle Institute for Global Research. The award will support her second single-authored book project, which will take her to Korea in 2021.
In the model of a true scholar-teacher, Kim also received two awards for teaching and mentoring: the “On Eagle’s Wings” Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education.
The “On Eagle’s Wings” award is conferred by Candler’s senior class in recognition of faithful and dedicated service. One nominator shared that Kim is known by students for her commitment to “make the journey” with them, accepting each student wherever they are, but expecting them not to stay there. Even before the pandemic, she began every class by checking in with students, something that became particularly important in the transition to online learning.
The Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award is given annually by the Emory University Provost to a faculty member in each of Emory’s seven graduate and professional schools in recognition of outstanding scholars who excel in teaching and mentoring, and who foster participation, inquiry and creative expression. The citation credits Kim for her passion and creativity in the classroom, and her genuine support of the Candler student community.
Kim was tapped to bring her scholarship to a broader audience on Friday, May 22 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, in a panel discussion on the religious dimensions of Asian American communities hosted by Renee Tajima-Peña, producer of the new PBS documentary series “Asian Americans.” Members of the public can register in advance to attend via Zoom.