God's New Whiz Kids?

Rebecca Y. Kim is Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Ethnic Studies program at Pepperdine University, where she holds the Frank R. Seaver Chair in Social Science. She is the author of God's New Whiz Kids? Second-generation Korean American Evangelicals on Campus and The Spirit Moves West: Korean Missionaries in America, and co-author of Estranged Pioneers: Race, Faith and Leadership in a Diverse World.

In this fascinating book, Kim explores why second-generation Korean American college students are disproportionately joining Korean ethnic campus ministries over pan-Asian, multiracial, or predominantly white campus ministries. Providing a wealth of detail and information about both campus ministries and second-generation Korean evangelical Christians, Gods New Whiz Kids? is an essential volume for researchers and students of both Asian American and immigrant religious experiences. - Pyong Gap Min,co-editor of Building Faith Communities: Religions in Asian America Kim describes a group on the cusp of change, from an immigrant community to a cosmopolitan university campus with a marketplace of religious options. - Kate Bowler,Duke Divinity School This pioneer study on the emergence of Korean American and Asian American Evangelicals on college campuses makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the complex processes of ethnic formation, identity work, and religious participation. . . . A must-read for students of immigration and religion and an indispensable sourcebook for ministers, pastors, and other church leaders who wrestle with questions of diversity and ministry among immigrants and their offspring at the turn of the twenty-first century. - Min Zhou,University of California, Los Angeles Paints a richly contextualized portrait of conservative evangelical campus ministry groups in general. (Religious Studies Review) Gods New Whiz Kids? fully exemplifies the spirit of Asian American Studies by crossing broad disciplinary boundaries to provide the deepest understanding of Korean Americans religious lives. Kim deftly weaves together the best literature on identity and power construction from the broader Asian American Studies canon (Journal of Asian American Studies) Packed with information on historical context and deeply informed by a growing literature. . . . First-rate sociology and essential reading. (Christian Century)

• Acknowledgments Introduction 1 Changing the Face of Campus Evangelicalism: Asian American Evangelicals 2 Second-Generation Korean American Evangelicals and the Immigrant Church 3 Korean American Campus Ministries in the Marketplace 4 Emergent Ethnic Group Formation 5 A Closer Look at the Ties That Bind 6 White Flight and Crossing Boundaries 7 "Why Can't Christians All Just Get Along?" Conclusion Appendix A: Interview Questions Appendix B: Letters to Interview/Research SubjectsAppendix C: Interview/Research Consent Forms Notes References Index About the Author