NEW YORK — Dr. Kwok Pui Lan, an internationally recognized theologian in  postcolonial theology and Asian and Asian American feminist theology, will rejoin Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) as a Distinguished Scholar starting in January 2025 and concluding in December 2026. In this role, Dr. Kwok will lead a variety of initiatives that support further scholarship, education, and collaborative partnerships around postcolonial theology in the Anglican Communion and beyond. Offerings will include an online course on postcolonial Anglicanism, a mini-conference, and mentorship for a cohort of emerging theologians from the Global South. 

Dr. Kwok has shaped a generation of theological scholarship and formed countless students. Most recently, she served as Dean’s Professor of Systematic Theology at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Prior to that, Dr. Kwok was William F. Cole Professor of Christian Theology and Spirituality at EDS, where she taught for twenty-five years. This renewed partnership will support new and continued pathways for Dr. Kwok’s visionary leadership in the church and academy.

“I am delighted to help EDS connect with theological educators and grassroots leaders in the Anglican Communion, particularly from the Global South,” reflected Dr. Kwok. “EDS can be a lively hub for discussing the future of a decentered and polyphonic Anglican Communion.”

The Very Rev. Lydia Kelsey Bucklin ‘15, President and Dean of EDS, said of the partnership, “I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Kwok Pui Lan back to the EDS community as Distinguished Scholar. For decades, Dr. Kwok has been a leader in postcolonial and feminist theology and a beloved teacher. Her work with EDS will be a gift to the entire church.”

This announcement comes less than two months after President Bucklin’s installment as President and Dean in October 2024. President Bucklin has since articulated that EDS is in a season of boldly reimagining this storied institution and the next iteration of theological education to meet the changing needs of the church and world.

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Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) is dedicated to nurturing moral leadership through theological education, spiritual formation, and community transformation. EDS remains committed to its bold and inclusive vision of social justice. The school aims to equip future leaders in The Episcopal Church with the necessary skills and mindset to lead their communities in an ever-changing world. EDS strives to meet the growing demand for Episcopal theological education and ensure broader access to innovative programs. EDS strengthen partnerships, provides theological education for lay and clergy leaders, and fosters meaningful conversations on Christianity and social justice.

Dr. Kwok Pui Lan was Dean’s Professor of Systematic Theology at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, and a past president of the American Academy of Religion. Before that, she taught theology and spirituality at the Episcopal Divinity School. She has authored and edited numerous books on Asian and Asian American feminist theology, biblical interpretation, and postcolonial criticism. She is the author of The Anglican Tradition from a Postcolonial Perspective and editor of Transpacific Political Theology. She received the Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship from the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2021.

Contact:
Mary Grace Puszka
Episcopal Divinity School
(646) 337-2799
marygrace@eds.edu

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