Sung Ho (Daniel) Ahn

About:

A dedicated scholar specializing in Global Christianity, his academic journey has led him to gain extensive experience teaching and engaging in intercultural and pastoral ministries over the past twenty years across numerous locations, spanning Europe, North America, North Africa, and Asia.

His extensive teaching journey in diverse educational environments, both Western and non-Western, has equipped him with a multi-faceted perspective that enriches his instruction. Before joining Gordon College in Greater Boston as a faculty of Global Christianity, he taught World Christianity and Intercultural Theology at the Free University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. There, he devoted his effort to serving diaspora and refugee communities across Europe.

His expertise lies in the study of Global Christianity, which reveals that Christianity originated in multiple continents, such as Asia, Africa, and Europe, and developed differently in various cultural and linguistic contexts as a polycentric religion. His studies focus on how local Christians have shaped their unique, indigenous theologies as integral components of Global Theology.

Beyond theory, his teachings are also anchored in his extensive intercultural and pastoral ministry experience in various parts of the world. His intercultural experience spans from Europe (including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium) to Asia (East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Persian Belt), and North Africa. His pastoral ministry includes serving multiethnic, multicultural, diaspora, and refugee communities in the Netherlands, Germany, and North America (the US and Canada). This real-world perspective allows him to weave practical insights into his instruction, providing students with a comprehensive picture of Global Christianity.

He also specializes in the field of Global Diaspora Studies, coupled with multiethnicity, drawing from his teaching and ministry experience. In the current era, marked by intense globalization, we’re witnessing significant diaspora movements, primarily from the Global South to the Global North. This has resulted in a rich tapestry of cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity within cities consequently transforming the landscape of Christianity into a truly global expression of Christianity, referred to as Global Christianity.

His academic productivity is evident in his continuous research contributions to the field of Global Christianity, which he regularly presents at international conferences.

Complementing his expertise, he additionally brings a unique knowledge blend from his mechanical engineering background. He worked as a research mechanical engineer at the R & D center of Hyun-Dai Motor Company with a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering.

Selected Publications

“The Lausanne State of the Great Commission on Diaspora: People on the Move”, Co-Author, the 4th Lausanne Congress 2024, the Lausanne Movement

Deus and Shangti: Chinese Rites Controversy, Religious Encounter in a Trans-Cultural Society, ed. David W. Kim (London: Lexington Books, 2017), pp. 239-260.

Changing Profile; the Historical Development of Christianity in Singapore, Modern History of Asian Religions, ed. David W. Kim (Leiden: Brill, 2015), pp. 250-273.

“Johan H. Bavinck’s Missiology of Non-Christian Religions and Its Implication for the Term Question in the Sino-Korean Bible Translation”, The Bavinck Review, Calvin Theological Seminary (2012), pp. 106-122.

Selected Academic Contributions

American Society of Missiology, Board Member & the Korean Language Track Moderator

Global Theology or World Christianity Discussion Group in North America 2023, sponsored by the Small Grant of the Wabash Center for the Teaching of Religion and Theology, USA

Academic Board Member of the Journal of Missiology, Asian Center for Theological Studies University and Theological Seminary, South Korea