Chloe Sun Wants the Marginalized to Become Conspicuous

If you had asked Chloe Sun as a girl in Hong Kong what she expected her life would be like when she grew up, she probably would not have imagined that she would end up in the US for college, become a Christian, and then serve as the catalyst for her whole family embracing the gospel. She also could not have imagined that she would fall in love with Hebrew and the Old Testament, leading to her becoming a biblical scholar and a seminary dean, with a call to train the next generation of Chinese church leaders in North America. But despite her academic credentials with a PhD from Fuller Seminary and her status as one of the few Asian female scholars in her discipline, Chloe still considers herself as someone who operates in the margins of a dominant culture in which she often feels invisible and and hidden.

Chloe's life mirrors that of the topic she tackles in her unique and compelling book Conspicuous in His Absence: Studies in the Song of Songs and Esther. In this book, Chloe examines a combination of biblical texts that are rarely studied together but which share a common characteristic: God is absent in both. As she illuminates what we can learn about God through his absence, Chloe also makes it clear through her work and her words that those on the margins have much to say and offer even though they are often absent from the center of the church and the academy. If you don't know Chloe's work, take this opportunity to get to know a thoughtful, brilliant scholar and writer with much to offer through her life and her writing.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Write Better by Andrew T. LePeau

About the Guest:

Chloe T. Sun (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is professor of Old Testament and academic dean at Logos Evangelical Seminary and has published books in Chinese and English, including The Ethics of Violence in the Story of Aqhat, Love Already but Not Yet: A Commentary on the Song of Songs and Attempt Great Things for God: Theological Education in Diaspora. You can find more information about Chloe at her website.

SPECIAL OFFER | Effective Jan. 1st, 2024, all promo codes/opportunities mentioned in this episode are expired. Please use the code IVPOD25 at ivpress.com for 25% off Chloe's book Conspicuous in His Absence.

About the Hosts:

Formerly an editor at IVP, Ed Gilbreath is currently an executive leader at Christianity Today; he earned his bachelor’s in communication arts from Judson University and a master’s in philosophy of history from Olivet Nazarene University. He is also the author of two IVP books: Reconciliation Blues and Birmingham Revolution. Follow Ed on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Helen Lee is the director of product innovation at IVP; she is also the author of The Missional Mom and The Race-Wise Family, co-authored with Dr. Michelle Reyes. Helen also serves as the producer of The Every Voice Now Podcast and as the executive producer of