This presentation by Dr. Jessica ChenFeng, LMFT, titled “Relating to the Internal and Relational Wrestlings of Bible Characters: Jacob’s Family in Context,” was recorded on October 7, 2025. The lecture is part of the 2025 conference “Biblical Theology in Asian America: Family, Migration, and Divine Presence,” presented by the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary and co-hosted with Fuller Theological Seminary’s Chinese Studies Center. You can learn more about this conference here: https://ptsem.edu/academics/centers/center-for-asian-american-christianity/btiaa2025/.

Description: “We each grew up with a relationship to characters of the Bible: which character was someone to emulate? Who was not the ideal model for a leader, a parent, or spouse? These assessments can sometimes parallel the way our families talked about relatives or community members: the good daughter who takes care of her parents, the terrible church elder who squandered money or the faithful pastor who sacrifices so much. In this presentation, we consider Jacob’s family system: intergenerational and gendered hopes, betrayal, alignment and rejection that allow us opportunities to connect with their contextual realities and curiosities for our own Asian American Christian lives today. We will consider the complex nuances of Bible characters beyond the one-dimensional individual perspectives of their personhood and behaviors.

“This presentation will invite attendees to reconsider our assessments (judgements) of Bible characters and increase our empathy (of others and self) through understanding Jacob’s family with a sociocontextual and relational lens. It will highlight relationships in context, reflecting on dynamics of rupture and opportunities for repair.”

Jessica ChenFeng, PhD, LMFT is an associate professor of marriage and family therapy at Fuller Theological Seminary. She has been a practicing MFT for almost 20 years and consults with academic, healthcare and church organizations to improve the well-being of people within their relationships and communities. She is the director of Fuller’s Asian American Well-being Collaboratory. Her research, clinical and community work center around Asian American identities/relationships, generation, trauma, and Christian spirituality. She resides in the greater Los Angeles area with her spouse and two children. Whenever she gets the chance, she loves reconnecting with her love for analogue: paper planners and stationery, baking, and sewing.

Time Stamps:

00:51 Introducing Dr. Jessica ChenFeng

02:11 Dr. ChenFeng’s Personal Journey and Calling

04:24 Exploring Wellbeing and Belonging

06:11 Engaging with Bible Characters in Context

12:25 Intergenerational Impacts and Personal Stories

19:44 Understanding Relationships and Systems

23:57 Empathy and Complexity in Relationships

35:17 Conclusion: Pursuing Fullness of Life

Photo by Dilip Poddar on Unsplash