Pacific School of Religion is delighted to announce the appointment of four outstanding new faculty. Following a rigorous faculty and community search process, these colleagues have been selected to shape PSR’s distinctive reimagination of theological education.
In addition to bringing outstanding academic preparation and experience, they embody PSR’s commitment to making their discipline more widely accessible and impactful; bringing their own faith to bear on the creation of a world where all can thrive, and have research agendas that center the wisdom and needs of historically marginalized communities.
Please join us in welcoming our esteemed new colleagues!
Lisa Asedillo Assistant Professor of Worship and Liturgical Ethics
Lisa Asedillo (she/her) is an ethicist and liturgist with research interests in decolonial/postcolonial feminist theory, transpacific and Asian American Christian Ethics, and Philippine studies. With support from the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, she co-founded New Day Church in the Bronx, New York in 2009 — a vibrant, queer, anti-racist, and boundary-crossing faith community. Given her mixed-race heritage, queer identity, and transnational upbringing, she takes seriously that her particular embodiment gestures back towards painful colonial history, and also towards a particular experience with something to offer the work of solidarity, community building and ritual, and spiritually-rooted leadership development.
Leonard McMahon Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care, Spirituality, and Political Theology
Leonard McMahon (he/him) is committed to improving the common good through political theology, spirituality, and pastoral care. Through his consultancy, Common Ground Dialogue, he brings divergent citizens into a deeper conversation for the sake of our democracy. He is deeply concerned about political polarization and draws upon classical spirituality and modern political theory to craft a pastoral approach that attends to both the macrosocial and microsocial aspects of our common life.
Peter Rios Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership and Intercultural Studies & Academic Director of Ignite
Dr. Peter Rios (he/him) brings transdisciplinary theory and practice to his teaching and research, applying critical race and Latina/o/x critical theory, intersectionality, narrative inquiry, leadership, and liberative theologies to address social justice and organizational leadership issues. His research interests include the political engagement and representation of minoritized and marginalized people in the U.S. and the Caribbean, Whiteness, and normativity, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, the intersections of race, religion, and politics, and social transformation through business and leadership. He brings nearly two decades of leadership experience and development in higher education and in pastoral ministry. He served as a lecturer of leadership studies at Penn State and has been an affiliate faculty at various institutions teaching undergraduate and graduate students.
EunHye Grace So Visiting Assistant Professor of New Testament and Rhetorical Studies
EunHye Grace So (she/her) has served as an adjunct faculty at the San Francisco Theological Seminary/Graduate School of Theology of the University of Redlands and taught as a Newhall Teaching Fellow at the Graduate Theological Union. Grace is a lifelong Presbyterian and is in the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PCUSA) ordination process as an inquirer. She has had experience serving as a Children’s Ministry Minister in Seoul, Republic of Korea.