Heup Young Kim
Encyclopedia
Heup Young Kim is a Korean Christian
theologian and a scholar of East Asian religions
(Confucianism
and Taoism
), specialized in Asian constructive theology
, interfaith dialogue, and religion and science. He is Professor of Systematic Theology
at Kangnam University
in South Korea
and was a dean of the College of Humanities and Liberal arts, the Graduate School of Theology, and the University Chapel. Kim is one of the founding members of the International Society for Science and Religion
and a co-moderator of the 6th and 7th Congress of Asian Theologians.
After graduating from the Engineering College of Seoul National University
, he worked as an airplane mechanic for Korean Air Lines and then was hired to work in the Planning Office of Daewoo
Corporation. During the Korean economic boom of the 70's, he became a representative of Samhwa Corporation in New York City, a general trading company (import
/export
) for many products, such as shoes and silk. Then, he had a religious conversion
from Confucianism
to Christianity
, which made him dramatically move into theological studies.
He earned a M.Div. and Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary
, and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union
in Berkeley, California (directed by Claude Welch
). He has carried out extensive research in the areas of Asian constructive theology
, interreligious dialogue, comparative theology, and science and religion. He has been a senior fellow at the Harvard University
Center for the Study of World Religions and the Doshisha University
Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Monotheistic Religions, a visiting fellow at the University of Cambridge
Centre for Advanced Religious Theological Studies and University of Oxford
, and a visiting scholar at the Graduate Theological Union
Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS).
Kim has received numerous honors and awards including the Graduate Theological Union
Alum of the Year for 2009, the Global Perspectives on Science and Spirituality (2005-6), John Templeton Foundation
Research grant (2004-5), and Kangnam University
Most Distinguished Research Professor Award (2003). He has also published numerous works in the areas of interfaith dialogue, theology of religions
, Asian theology
, and science and religion, in both English and Korean, including Wang Yang-ming and Karl Barth
: A Confucian-Christian
Dialogue (1996), Toward a Theology
of the Tao
(2000), Christ
and the Tao
(2003), and Contemporary Natural Sciences and Christianity
(2006).
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
theologian and a scholar of East Asian religions
East Asian religions
In the study of comparative religion, the East Asian religions form a subset of the Eastern religions...
(Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
and Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
), specialized in Asian constructive theology
Constructive Theology
Constructive theology is the re-definition of what has historically been known as systematic theology. The reason for this reevaluation stems from the idea that, in systematic theology, the theologian attempts to develop a coherent theory running through the various doctrines within the tradition...
, interfaith dialogue, and religion and science. He is Professor of Systematic Theology
Systematic theology
In the context of Christianity, systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs...
at Kangnam University
Kangnam University
Kangnam University is a private Christian university located in Yongin, South Korea. Founded July 1, 1946, by Reverend Yi Ho-bin as the Choong-ang Theology Institute, the school initially met at a lecture hall in the local Seoul YMCA in Seoul, South Korea. The institution eventually moved in 1967...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and was a dean of the College of Humanities and Liberal arts, the Graduate School of Theology, and the University Chapel. Kim is one of the founding members of the International Society for Science and Religion
International Society for Science and Religion
The International Society for Science and Religion is a learned society established in 2001 for the purpose of the promotion of education through the support of inter-disciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion conducted where possible in an international and...
and a co-moderator of the 6th and 7th Congress of Asian Theologians.
After graduating from the Engineering College of Seoul National University
Seoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
, he worked as an airplane mechanic for Korean Air Lines and then was hired to work in the Planning Office of Daewoo
Daewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...
Corporation. During the Korean economic boom of the 70's, he became a representative of Samhwa Corporation in New York City, a general trading company (import
Import
The term import is derived from the conceptual meaning as to bring in the goods and services into the port of a country. The buyer of such goods and services is referred to an "importer" who is based in the country of import whereas the overseas based seller is referred to as an "exporter". Thus...
/export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
) for many products, such as shoes and silk. Then, he had a religious conversion
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
from Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, which made him dramatically move into theological studies.
He earned a M.Div. and Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
, and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union
Graduate Theological Union
The Graduate Theological Union ' is a consortium of nine independent theological schools, and eleven centers and affiliates. Eight of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962. It maintains the Graduate Theological Union Library, one of the most...
in Berkeley, California (directed by Claude Welch
Claude Welch
Claude Raymond Welch was a historical theologian specializing in Karl Barth and nineteenth-century theology.-Early life:Welch was born to Virgil and Deone Welch...
). He has carried out extensive research in the areas of Asian constructive theology
Constructive Theology
Constructive theology is the re-definition of what has historically been known as systematic theology. The reason for this reevaluation stems from the idea that, in systematic theology, the theologian attempts to develop a coherent theory running through the various doctrines within the tradition...
, interreligious dialogue, comparative theology, and science and religion. He has been a senior fellow at the Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Center for the Study of World Religions and the Doshisha University
Doshisha University
, or is a prestigious private university in Kyoto, Japan. The university has approximately 27,000 students on three campuses, in faculties of theology, letters, law, commerce, economics, policy, and engineering...
Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Monotheistic Religions, a visiting fellow at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
Centre for Advanced Religious Theological Studies and University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, and a visiting scholar at the Graduate Theological Union
Graduate Theological Union
The Graduate Theological Union ' is a consortium of nine independent theological schools, and eleven centers and affiliates. Eight of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962. It maintains the Graduate Theological Union Library, one of the most...
Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS).
Kim has received numerous honors and awards including the Graduate Theological Union
Graduate Theological Union
The Graduate Theological Union ' is a consortium of nine independent theological schools, and eleven centers and affiliates. Eight of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962. It maintains the Graduate Theological Union Library, one of the most...
Alum of the Year for 2009, the Global Perspectives on Science and Spirituality (2005-6), John Templeton Foundation
John Templeton Foundation
"The John Templeton Foundation is a philanthropic organizationthat funds inter-disciplinary research about human purpose and ultimate reality. It is usually referred to simply as the Templeton Foundation...
Research grant (2004-5), and Kangnam University
Kangnam University
Kangnam University is a private Christian university located in Yongin, South Korea. Founded July 1, 1946, by Reverend Yi Ho-bin as the Choong-ang Theology Institute, the school initially met at a lecture hall in the local Seoul YMCA in Seoul, South Korea. The institution eventually moved in 1967...
Most Distinguished Research Professor Award (2003). He has also published numerous works in the areas of interfaith dialogue, theology of religions
Theology of religions
The term ‘theology of religions’ refers to the branch of Christian theology that attempts to theologically and biblically evaluate the phenomena of religions...
, Asian theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, and science and religion, in both English and Korean, including Wang Yang-ming and Karl Barth
Karl Barth
Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas...
: A Confucian-Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Dialogue (1996), Toward a Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
of the Tao
Tao
Dao or Tao is a Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'...
(2000), Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and the Tao
Tao
Dao or Tao is a Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'...
(2003), and Contemporary Natural Sciences and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
(2006).