Faculty - Stephan Chair in Chinese Studies

Fuller Theological Seminary School of Mission and Theology
Stephan Chair in Chinese Studies

Tenure Track Faculty Position Profile

Fuller Theological Seminary invites applicants for a full-time Faculty position as the Dean and Rebecca Stephan Chair in Chinese Studies beginning no later than July 1, 2027.

The successful candidate will be a full-time faculty member in the School of Mission & Theology. Fuller Theological Seminary, embracing the School of Mission & Theology (SMT) and the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy (SoPMFT), is a multidenominational, international, and multiethnic community dedicated to providing indispensable formational education for diverse Christian leaders everywhere. We are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable environment for all employees.

Qualifications

1. Background:

   1. PhD or equivalent within an existing area of seminary instruction with a specialization that addresses Chinese Christian life, church, and community. The Chair will focus on key foci of the Chinese Studies Center such as Christian life, churches, and communities in China, Sinophone societies, as well as Chinese diasporic context.

   2. MDiv or MA degree from a Christian seminary (or equivalent) strongly preferred.

   3. Fluency in English to teach courses and in Mandarin to supervise MA and PhD research.

   4. Church or mission experience in the global Chinese context.

2. Teaching:

   1. Record of effective teaching. The successful candidate will offer core and elective courses in the MDiv and related masters' degree programs and also the ThM and PhD programs in theology and intercultural studies, including mentoring students in these programs.

   2. Competence to teach also in one of the following areas: Chinese Christianity, interdisciplinary areas between Chinese culture (e.g., Chinese Philosophy, Chinese Religion, Chinese History, Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese Aesthetics, Chinese indigenous psychology) and Mission/Theology. The ability to teach such courses in the larger context of East Asia is welcome.

   3. Traveling with Fuller faculty to Asia to promote Fuller and the Center, and recruit students.

3. Research:

   1. Record of research and publication, with ongoing research plans.

   2. Record of scholarship that informs practice and practice-that-informs scholarship, and of the capacity to form and shape practitioners

4. Institutional Commitments:

   1. Commitment to thinking theologically/missiologically/psychologically about, teaching, and practicing in ways that speak to established and emerging cultures in the twenty-first-century.

   2. Have the personal, academic, and/or professional development to effectively serve the culturally, ethnically, racially, and theologically diverse male and female students of the seminary.

   3. Commitment to theological education in the service of the local and global church, to shaping leaders for the church's mission and ministry, to the spiritual formation of students, and to supporting women and men in pastoral and other leadership positions.

   4. Faith and lifestyle congruent with the mission of Fuller Theological Seminary as expressed in its statement of faith, community standards and institutional commitments.

5. Administration:

a. Experienced in administrative leadership and in running academic programs

c. Experienced in budget management

d. Detail-oriented.

Role Responsibilities

1. Teaching and Researching (50%)

2. Vision and Strategic Planning with the Academic Dean of the CSC, including implementing events, initiatives, and programs (20%).

3. Educational collaboration, resourcing, and networking among global/local Chinese churches, seminaries, mental health agencies, and mission groups (15%).

4. Student engagements, including student mentoring (15%).

The Chinese Studies Center is one of Fuller's Leadership Formation Division's centers and institutes, which include centers focused on worship, theology, and the arts; leadership; youth and emerging adults; thriving/flourishing; spiritual and missional formation; and church planting. The center's vision is to gather Chinese Christians from different cultural contexts to pursue academic excellence, to cultivate ministry skills, and to grow in Christian fellowship that brings healing and reconciliation, as well as to offer the Chinese church's gifts to the worldwide body of Christ.

Additionally, the Chinese Studies Center collaborates with other ethnic centers to serve Fuller's diverse student population, including the Center for Asian American Theology and Ministry, Korean Studies Center, Centro Latino, and Pannell Center for Black Church Studies. These centers offer conferences, lectures, advocacy for students and staff, and support a variety of relevant courses, including courses in Korean and Spanish, all consistent with our Strategic Approach to Inclusive Excellence (SATIE). A diverse, equitable, global focus is central to Fuller's mission and our SATIE. A major commitment to promote institutional viability and vitality noted in the SATIE is to "recruit, retain, and promote a diverse administration, staff, and faculty" (p. 3).

Rank and Other Considerations

1. Tenure-track; initial three-year appointment.

2. Rank depends on qualifications and experience.

3. Twelve-month contract.

4. Teach three courses per year on the quarter system (50% load, which combines with 50% administrative load as Program Director for Chinese Studies Center).

5. Sabbatical eligibility every seventh quarter with dean approval.

6. Location: Pasadena, California.

7. Date position available: start date is negotiable but by no later than July 1, 2027.

Pay Scale:

1. Annual salary the seminary expects to pay: $80,000 - $90,000 annually USD

Application Information

Applicants for faculty positions in the School of Mission & Theology are asked to submit the following materials electronically, using the email address noted below:

1. A letter of interest.

2. A curriculum vitae, indicating education, teaching experience, publications, and other professional qualifications.

3. A statement of their commitment and approach to teaching and mentoring underrepresented students and women, and that evidences their commitment and efforts toward inclusion and diversity in their teaching.

4. A list of three references with institutional affiliation and contact information, representing academic qualifications. Note: references will be contacted once the Search Committee identifies a short list of candidates.

5. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Fuller is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

Applications will be reviewed beginning no earlier than 30 days from posting and continue until the position is filled.

Fuller Theological Seminary is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. To the extent required by law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status. As a religious institution, Fuller Theological Seminary is permitted and reserves the right to prefer employees or prospective employees for certain positions on the basis of religion.

Contact information

Persons with questions about this position or the application procedure may contact us at: stephanchairsearch@fuller.edu. Application materials should be submitted electronically to the same email address.

Jeffrey F. Keuss, Dean

School of Mission &Theology

Fuller Theological Seminary 135 N. Oakland Avenue Pasadena, CA 91182 USA smt-dean@fuller.edu