Profiles of Current Students
Daniel Kim, first year MDiv student
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in South Korea. I moved to Pakistan as a missionary kid when I was five and grew up there until 9th grade. I completed 10th grade in England, 11th grade in the Philippines, and 12th grade in Cambodia. I came to the United States for college in 2001, and have lived here since then.
What education did you receive before coming to the University of Chicago Divinity School?
I earned a B.A. in History from Wheaton College (2005); an M.A. in Religious Ethics from Yale Divinity School (2008); and an M.P.H. in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Yale School of Public Health (2008).
Why did you choose to attend Chicago?
I would like to contribute primarily to the intellectual—theological and ethical—dimensions of the Church's ministry to those living in poverty. I wish to mentor students and teach theological ethics as a missionary in seminaries that cultivate future leaders of resource-poor communities. At the same time, I would like to ensure that my intellectual work is intimately informed by and in the service of churches in their practical ministries. I believe that involvement in ministry is especially important for me since I aspire to be a missionary in a resource-poor country where the urgency of people's basic, practical needs is inescapable.
The M.Div. program at the University of Chicago is an ideal preparatory step for me. I am impressed by the program's extensive field education requirements, which will help extend the two years of teaching ministry experience that I had at West Alliance Church in Naperville and Bright Voice Church in Cambodia during college. I am excited about the possibilities that the Congregational Placement requirement offers for me to serve in both familiar and unfamiliar aspects of congregational ministry; I expect to do so not only under the mentorship of the Divinity School faculty but also of my current pastor, Michael Green, a former seminary professor. I am equally eager to receive Clinical Pastoral Education for my Fieldwork requirement. I have been engaged in bioethics for quite some time at a policy level, and I look forward to complementing that background with the opportunity to serve patients at a more personal level. Finally, and importantly, I believe that the three "exercises" in practical theological reflection that the Divinity School requires will enable me to reflect theologically and ethically about the practices of these ministries, which I did not have the opportunity to do in previous ministry experiences.
The University of Chicago Divinity School's interdisciplinary focus is also very attractive to me. It is an environment in which I can feel encouraged to integrate theology, health care, and bioethics in my scholarship. Just across the street from the Divinity School, for example, is the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, which is where I currently work as the managing editor of the journal Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics. I am also able to participate in conferences, seminars, and lectures held by the Center. It is also where a new Program in Medicine and Religion has been established; I have already provided significant administrative and research support to the program, and I hope to continue my involvement in its work. These are all ties that I wish to maintain during my M.Div. studies, and it is my hope that this situation will yield many future opportunities for interdisciplinary research and scholarship.
Please describe any church work, special teaching activities, publications, or presentations you have worked on so far that you feel are noteworthy. Are there any professors or ministers in particular who have made a significant impact on your studies?
I am a first year student in the Divinity School, but have been fortunate to publish work before coming here. My peer reviewed publications include:
- Kim, D. 2010. Explaining early Christian charity: A psychosocial theories approach. Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion 6 (article 8).
- Yamamoto, G; Kim, D. 2010. Navigating multiple modernities: Soon Hyun and the envisioning of Korean/American modernities. Journal of Asian American Studies 13 (2): 127-162.
- Kim, D; Schleiter, K; Crigger, BJ, et al. 2010. A physician's role following a breach of electronic health information. Journal of Clinical Ethics 21 (1): 30-35.
- Kim, D; Irwin, K; Khoshnood, K. 2009. Expanded access to naloxone: Options for critical response to the epidemic of opioid overdose mortality. American Journal of Public Health 99 (3): 402-407.
What activities do you participate in outside of the classroom? (community service, work, hobbies, etc.)
In addition to my work as managing editor of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, I am also raising a 4-year-old daughter, Hana, and I volunteer at Cornerstone Community Church.
What do you plan to do after you have graduated from Chicago?
I hope to pursue a PhD in theological ethics. I am interested in exploring the moral and ethical dimensions of the role of Church and individual Christians in global health, particularly in resource-poor settings. My primary desire is to contribute intellectually and constructively to the life of the Church and its communities.
