David Nah

Job Titles

• Associate Professor
  Theological Studies (M.A.) Bethel Seminary
  M.A. (Christian Thought), Bethel Seminary
  Ministry (M.A.), Bethel Seminary
  Transformational Leadership (M.A.) Bethel Seminary
  Children's & Family Ministry (M.A.) Bethel Seminary

Highlight

Systematic Theology, Christian Social Ethics, Theology in Global Context, Theology of Religions, World Religions

Started at Bethel

2006

Education

• Claremont Graduate University - Ph.D., 2005
• Princeton Theological Seminary - Th.M., 1989
• Northwestern University - B.A., 1984

Biography

Dr. Nah was born and raised in South Korea. When he was almost ten years old, he immigrated, along with his younger brother John, to the United States to join his father, Dr. Yoon Tae Nah, and mother, Sarah, whom already immigrated several years earlier. His younger sister, Grace, was born in America. David grew up in the windy city of Chicago and attended the church that his father planted and subsequently pastored for 32 years until retirement. In 1976, at the age of fourteen, David accepted Christ as Lord and Savior and was baptized.

David attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he majored in Sociology and was a member of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He then attended Alliance Theological Seminary for his M. Div. degree and Princeton Theological Seminary for a Th.M. in Doctrinal Theology. For his Ph.D., David attended Claremont Graduate University in California where he studied with  notable thinkers like John Hick, D.Z. Phillips, John Cobb Jr., David Griffin, and James M. Robinson. His dissertation was entitled, A Critical Evaluation of John Hick’s Theology of Religious Pluralism.

The year 1991 was a special for David. That was the year he was ordained as minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as marrying his lovely wife, Katelyn, who was then a student at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. That same year, they moved to California where they eventually became involved with several ministries, including a church they planted together.

In 2005, David made a transition to academic teaching after some 20 years of church ministry. He spent one year teaching on a post-doctoral appointment at Seattle Pacific University before joining Bethel Seminary in 2006. David is currently member of several professional societies including American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the Christian Research Fellowship. His current research projects include books on Korean Christianity, Christian theology of religions, and Contextualization.

Courses Taught

Systematic Theology I

Systematic Theology II

Theology and the Theologian

Christian Social Ethics

Theology and Contemporary Culture

The Church and Social Issues 

Theology in Global Context

Religious Pluralism

World Religions

Senior Integrative Seminar 

Awards

Bethel Seminary Faculty Excellence Award, 2012

Lilly SERVE Post-doctoral Fellow in Theology, Seattle Pacific University, 2005-2006

Alliance Foundation Award, 1998-1999

Tuition Fellowship, Claremont Graduate University, 1993-1995

Publications

Christian Theology and Religious Pluralism: A Critical Evaluation of John Hick (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publication, 2012) 234p.

“Asian Christian Spirituality,” in Glen G. Scorgie (ed.), Dictionary of Christian Spirituality (Zondervan Academic, 2011)

Review of Whose Tempering with the Trinity: An Assessment of the Subordination Debate, Millard J. Erickson, in Religious Studies Review, vol.36:4 (December 2010)

Review of Reformed and Always Reforming: The Postconservative Approach to Evangelical Theology, Roger E. Olson, in Religious Studies Review, vol. 35:1 (March 2009): 43.

Review of The Trinity: Global Perspectives, Veli-Matti Karkkainen, in Religious Studies Review, vol. 34:2 (June 2008): 87.

Presentations

“Holy Spirit and Chi: An Evangelical Evaluation of Koo Yun’s Chiological Approach to Pneumatology .” Joint Annual Meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Society and the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Seattle, WA. March 22, 2013.

"Glybourne Park" The Guthrie panel discussion sponsored by the Minnesota Consortium of Theological Schools. Other panelists included Father Michael Patella and actors from the play. Guthrie Theater, Minnespolis, MN.  July 13 2013.

“Toward an Evangelical Theology of Religions for a Postmodern Age.” Presentation Service, Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, MN. January 10, 2008.

“From Marginalization to Engagement: Toward a Second-Generation Asian-American Theology.” Community Life Gathering Lecture, Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, MN. May 17, 2007.

"Prayer and Askesis: healing Body and Mind." Interreligious symposium at Bethel University, Saint Paul, MN Other panelist included Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein, Imam Yasir Bilgin, and Father Paul Wesche.  March 13 2007.

“John Hick and the Origins of Christology.”  Northwestern Regional Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Tacoma, WA. March 4, 2006.

“Critical Evaluation of John Hick’s Philosophy of Pluralism.” Section on Systematic Theology, The Place for Q Research Conference.  Los Angeles, CA. October 15, 1996.

Professional Organizations, Committees, and Boards

American Academy of Religion

Society of Biblical Literature

Christian Theological Research Fellowship

Society of Christian Philosophers

Evangelical Philosophical Society

Evangelical Theological Society

Wesleyan Theological Society

Hobbies and Interests

Classical Music, Reading, Taekwondo, Chess.

Teaching specialty

Systematic Theology, Christian Social Ethics, Theology in Global Context, Theology of Religions, World Religions