Shaping faith
Gary Long, a theology professor at Bethel University (in )St. Paul) talks about his perspective of Christianity.
By Lily Yegge| Reporter
Gary Long is a survivor. He spent about two years of his life battling urothelial carcinoma, or bladder cancer. He started a campaign called “BreakingBlad” to raise awareness and money for his specific diagnosis, all while teaching theology courses at Bethel University located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Before Long began at Bethel, and before he was diagnosed with cancer, he taught in Jerusalem. Growing up in India and the Philippines, then back to the United States, Long was used to moving and living overseas. Most people would consider Long to be a “third culture kid”, meaning that he never quite felt at home anywhere he lived. Being a white kid growing up in Asia, then coming back to America only knowing non-Western customs wasn’t easy. Now, Long believes that Christianity should be shared in ways each culture can understand Jesus in their own terms.
“… God talk, theology, etcetera, needs to be shaped by, appropriated by them. Those languages, those cultural concepts, those things,” — Gary Long, theology professor
This is a story about Gary Long’s survival and beliefs. He believes that Christianity highlights Western figures and uses language that some cultures can’t relate to. After living in India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Jerusalem, and the United States, Long has experienced Christianity across the globe.
“Thinking God talk, theology, etcetera, needs to be shaped by, appropriated by them. Those languages, those cultural concepts, those things,” Gary Long, theology professor, said when asked about sharing Christianity in parts of the world such as South America, Asia, and Africa. He believes that each culture should have access to God. Long makes it clear that he doesn’t want to change the theology that was written centuries ago, he simply wants to change the “packaging”, so people in other countries are able to understand the religion. Long’s journey has been unique, but it has allowed him to shape individual and notable ideas about his profession and, more importantly, his faith.
