As a secon
d-year master of theological studies student, Mina Song Lee’s research interests continue to evolve, rooted in her own experiences growing up in a flourishingKorean immigrant church in New York City.
A first generation Korean American, Mina was raised in a family very much grounded in their church, Promises Ministries International, an Assemblies of God congregation in Flushing, Queens. On her high school debate team, Mina began to grapple with larger societal issues. At Princeton University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history, her senior thesis explored her church relative to the growth of the Korean immigrant community in New York from the 1970s through the 1990s. She saw her church’s exponential growth and the important role it played in the Korean community, offering support for translation, housing, medical services, language classes, childcare, and a hub for youth connection.
Mina began exploring graduate schools with an eye toward earning a PhD. She applied to multiple graduate programs and says her final decision to attend Candler came down to funding. She valued Candler’s timely offer of a full scholarship plus a generous MTS stipend. She also was drawn to the work of Candler’s Helen Jin Kim, associate professor ofAmerican religious history, and wanted to “follow in her footsteps.” And she was encouraged by Candler’s strong emphasis on both intellectual rigor and spiritual formation.
Mina’s research interests have evolved at Candler, and she is now exploring the broader issue of Christian nationalism in the United States within minoritized communities, specifically the way they understand Christian nationalistic rhetoric outside of white Christian nationalism. “I want to understand why it is that people find this mode of religious and political life to be sometimes empowering and sometimes salvific,” she explains. “Everyone wants to talk about Christian nationalism, but it’s never just that. It’s white Christian nationalism, which doesn’t square with my experience, because all the Christian nationalists I know are people of color.”
Mina says that building relationships with faculty has been an invaluable part of her Candler experience. “The professors are so invested in both our intellectual and professional formation, but they also care about us as people.” She considers Alison Greene, associate professor of American religious history and director of the master of theological studies program, a “lifesaver” and values Dr. Greene’s role as a historian in a theological setting.
A highlight of her Candler experience is serving as an MTS fellow for The Candler Foundry, the school’s public theological education initiative, under the guidance of Executive Director Ryan Bonfiglio, associate professor in the practice of Old Testament. “He has left an impression on me of the vision of the kind of person I think I’d like to be.”
Mina says she would like to come back to Emory to pursue her PhD, noting the professors and relationships she’s formed across theology, history, anthropology and other disciplines. “For what I want to study, I feel very settled in this community. I would love to stay here forever.”