Faith on the Road

What Displacement Does to the Human Soul with Kevin Yau

What happens to a person's inner world when they are displaced from home, community, and belonging? How does trauma reshape the way we relate to God, to ourselves, and to others? And what does spiritual formation look like in the midst of deep suffering? In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Yau, current Leader Studies recipient and faculty member at Asian Theological Seminary whose work focuses on trauma, spiritual formation, and the wellbeing of refugees and low-income communities across Southeast Asia. Drawing from his clinical and community-based work, Kevin reflects on what displacement does to the human soul, the complex relationship between trauma and faith, and why healing is rarely as straightforward as we imagine. We talk about post-traumatic growth, the tensions surrounding hope and recovery, the church's relationship with mental health care, and the spiritual practices that can sustain people through suffering and uncertainty. Grab a chair and join us at the dialogue table with Global Church theological leaders!

Helping the Church Respond to Domestic Abuse with Hepziba Arputharaj

Across South India, Hepziba Arputharaj has observed a troubling pattern in marriages, including Christian ones: women suffering in silence from verbal abuse, financial control, psychological manipulation, and varied forms of nonphysical violence. Recent reports confirm the scale of the crisis: nearly 89% of women in Indian Christian homes experience one or more of these forms of abuse. Nevertheless, they often go unnamed and normalized within society and the Church. Hepziba is currently completing PhD studies in contextual theology at Asbury Theological Seminary focused on this issue and how the Church can respond to it. We sit with her to hear about her journey, ministry work, and what her research has revealed so far. Join us in this conversation!

Understanding the Bible Through the Lens of Displacement with Dr. Milton Acosta

As of today, "Colombia is home to nearly 7 million internally displaced peopled, one of the largest internally displaced populations in the world" (UN Refugee Agency). This displacement is primarily driven by armed conflict and violence: ongoing conflict between guerilla groups, paramilitary groups, and the State. We sat with Dr. Milton A. Acosta Benítez to hear about: * his journey, * what led him to Old Testament studies and to enter theological education, * and his work with displaced communities in Colombia. Dr. Acosta Benítez is professor of Old Testament and chair of the Biblical Sciences Research Group at the Fundación Universitaria Seminario Bíblico de Colombia (FUSBC) in Medellín. He is the author of several publications, including Fe y Desplazamiento: La investigación-acción misional ante la crisis colombiana del desplazamiento forzoso (Resource Publication, 2022), co-edited with Scholar Leaders' president Christopher M. Hays. --- This episode is brought to you brought to you by Eerdmans and the book Eight Million Exiles: Missional Action Research and the Crisis of Forced Migration [https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802882394/eight-million-exiles/] by Christopher M. Hays. This book is at once a theological methodological treatise and a story. It is a story of how a handful of theologians in a little evangelical seminary on the wrong side of Medellín responded when they came to comprehend that the lives of eight million of their countrymen had been destroyed by the violence of Colombia's armed conflict. Get your copy here [https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802882394/eight-million-exiles/]!

The Future of Theological Education with Dr. Tite Tiénou

In our season finale, Christopher M. Hays and Evan Hunter talk with premier African theologian Dr. Tite Tiénou about the future of theological education. Drawing from decades of leadership and ministry across Africa and North America, Dr. Tiénou reflects on what first drew him to theology, the mentors who shaped his vision, and the challenges theological institutions face today. This is a podcast of Scholar Leaders. For more information, visit https://www.scholarleaders.org/ [https://www.scholarleaders.org/]

Trained but Untransformed: Rethinking Spiritual Formation in Theological Education

For years, church leadership scandals have made us ask: Are seminary students being trained but untransformed? In this episode of Faith on the Road, we sit with Dr. David Wang, Cliff and Joyce Penner Chair for the Formation of Emotionally Healthy Leaders and Professor of Psychology and Spiritual Formation at Fuller Seminary, to talk about spiritual formation—why theological education as it currently stands often falls short, how trauma shapes students and clergy, and why lament belongs at the center of worship. Dr. Wang draws from his global research and experience to offer a vision of formation that is holistic, relational, and incarnational—one that takes both spiritual and human development seriously. This conversation is a timely reminder that theological education is about more than training minds; it’s about transforming lives. --- Scholar Leaders is honored to be a partner in the Global Formation Project [https://www.globalformationproject.com/]. Learn more about the project, meet the partners, and explore publications & resources here [https://www.globalformationproject.com/].