Faculty Essays

My Personal Faith and Christian Experience

I was born in 1976 in a small village in China, as my grandparents and parents worked in
the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. My parents returned to the city, and I grew up in
a military compound. I was taught nationalism and atheism since childhood. Before I turned 18, I
did not believe in God, and I believed I should initiate and steer my success, stand out among the
rest, and build the country through my efforts. In 2001, I started studying economics at the
Austrian school of economics, an institution that emphasizes free market ideologies. I began to
doubt and reflect on the brainwashing education I had received since childhood and started
seeking the meaning of life. In 2014, I came to the United States as a visiting scholar. I got to
know American missionaries and read the Bible. The Holy Spirit quickly made me realize that
Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life, and each of us is sinful and needs to be saved through
faith in Jesus Christ.
My wife and I believed in the Lord with little doubt or hesitation, and I was baptized in
January 2016 in Champaign. After returning to China in 2016, I joined a House Church in
Beijing, and the Holy Spirit moved me to lead the group Bible study (God gave me many years
of experience as a college teacher, so I have the gift to lead the Bible study). However, I felt I
lacked a systematic understanding of the Bible during the Bible study and needed to study in a
seminary. In 2017, when I attended the Chinese Christian Conference in Chicago, God allowed
me to apply for the master’s program of Online Bible Studies at Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary. Since 2016, I have lived in the US and China for about half a year. As
China’s crackdown on the Christian faith has become more severe, God has given me the ability
to keep my faith and serve the church under tremendous pressure.

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My faith in Jesus Christ has given me the confidence to go after my passions and dreams
with the hope that I will succeed. I do not fear undertaking any challenging role because I believe
in Jesus Christ’s guidance. Despite the rampant crackdown on Christianity in China, my faith has
grown, and I believe the crackdown will end. I have been serving God under immense pressure
because I desire to see every individual repent and turn their life to Jesus Christ as their Lord and
Savior. I believe that everyone that believes in Jesus will succeed in all their undertakings and
goals. My journey in the Christian life has had both positives and negatives; however, I thank
God for enabling me to overcome every challenge in my life.
I have witnessed the wondrous workings of Jesus Christ in my life after getting saved and
baptized in January 2016. As a professor, the Lord has enabled me to publish three books and
more than 20 papers in academic journals, which is an outstanding achievement. My personal
faith in the Lord has also strengthened my teaching profession by allowing me to engage well
with my students without limitations. I feel new meaning in life due to my faith in Christianity.
Christian teachings have made me believe in doing what is right and being empathetic toward
others, especially those that need help. I am committed to serving God in different ministries by
changing the lives of millions of people globally.
My Understanding of the Relationship between Biblical Perspectives and Faith
Commitments to My Scholarly Discipline or Professional Specialization
Christianity’s Biblical perspectives and faith commitments are essential for professors
and those interested in faculty positions. Biblical perspectives, such as the fruits and gifts of the
Holy Spirit, are essential for education experts such as professors and faculty members. The
fruits of the Holy Spirit that relate to professors and faculty members include love, patience,
gentleness, self-control, and peace. Professors should exercise love by teaching students

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wholeheartedly and being passionate. To become a professor, one must also be patient due to the
technicalities and challenges involved in acquiring or attaining a doctorate. It takes much time
and resources to become a professor; hence, patience is a crucial requirement that one must
exercise to be a professor or a faculty member. Professors must also demonstrate self-control due
to the challenging experience they may encounter while engaging diverse students.
Some students may misbehave by failing to undertake assignments or intentionally
avoiding classes. As a result, it is essential to exercise self-control while dealing with such
students. The education sector also requires peace to allow cohesiveness among instructors and
learners. Significantly, professors and faculty members should demonstrate some of the gifts of
the Holy Spirit in their work, which includes fear of the Lord, wisdom, knowledge, and
understanding. Professors and faculty members must fear the Lord for them to overcome any
challenge in their teaching practice. Fearing the Lord gives an instructor the confidence and
wisdom to disseminate knowledge to learners. Wisdom is a vital tool that enables professors to
solve various problems among learners and ensure consistent performance. Professors and
faculty members should also possess the adequate understanding to perform various
administrative and support functions efficiently. Therefore, being committed to the Christian
faith enables a professor to possess the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit that are essential in the
teaching profession.
Elements Essential to the Educational Theory and Practice of a Christin Liberal Arts

Education

Critical thinking is the first element essential to the theory and practice of a Christian
liberal arts education. Critical thinking makes Christian liberal Arts education different from
other types of theology learning as it gives learners the skill to think critically and find logical

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solutions to various problems at school and in society. Educators in the Christian liberal arts
education should empower learners with the ability to think critically when applying ideas
acquired in school into practice. A Christian liberal arts education uses critical thinking in
identifying assumptions, testing logic, and evaluating evidence. A Christian liberal arts education
can help students grow individually and intellectually.
The next vital element of Christian liberal arts education is life examination. A liberally
educated person can make a moral judgment, seeking to understand the study area’s context,
origins, and implications. Christian liberal students do not look exclusively at a study’s
application; instead, they undertake a thorough examination to understand and apply the full
scope of the study. It is easier for liberally educated students to understand life as they examine
every experience wholly by considering the diverse context of analysis. The other element of
Christian liberal arts education is “encounters with difference.” A liberally educated person has
the skill to solve different problems as they view life both intellectually and spiritually. They
draw information from multiple perspectives that enable them to create rational solutions to
different challenging situations. Therefore, a Christian liberal arts education involves critical
thinking, examination of life, and encountering differences through exchanging ideas and
applying different perspectives.
What Has Helped Me Become More Effective In Working with People from Backgrounds

Different From My Own

Being self-aware has helped me effectively work with people from different backgrounds
or cultures. I am always conscious of my words and actions, which has helped me interact and
work cohesively with diverse individuals. For instance, I first establish if any action or word is a
cultural norm to another individual to prevent any act of aggression or conflict. Besides being

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self-aware, I always practice patience, which has helped me work with people from different
cultural backgrounds. I am always patient, especially when communicating with a colleague
from a different culture. I do not get irritated when a colleague takes a while to understand a
given point, as I understand the challenges associated with language differences and cultural
norms. Patience is a significant value in the workplace as it enables one to tolerate a divergent
opinion by understanding the differences in ideologies and perceptions.
I also use humor when working with people from different cultures as it helps ease
tension in the workplace. However, before uttering any jokes, I always ensure they are not
offensive to my colleagues or students. Exercising empathy has also helped me work effectively
with people from diverse cultures. For instance, showing an act of kindness by listening to a
depressed colleague or student promotes inclusivity and togetherness, which is essential for
effective performance. Importantly, to help students become more culturally competent when
preparing them to live and serve well in God’s diverse world, I ensure they learn about
themselves and different cultures, interact with diverse individuals, and practice patience.