Monthly Archives: January 2022

By E. Russ Bermejo, MSW, Lecturer 

Note: In my previous blog entitled Pouring Gold into Brokenness: How Japanese Art Shows Us the Way, I shared how author and artist, Makato Fujimura uses two ancient Japanese art forms to illustrate how fragmentation presents us with a choice:  We can either be artists making something new or we can hide in our silos missing any chance of being part of a something beautiful. I closed Part 1 reflecting on my career in child welfare and the need for us to be better by working together for some of the most marginalized families in our communities.   

In Part 2, I offer a mirror and window for us as Christian scholars to look at.  My hope is that we “part-take in the co-creation of the New.”  Thank you for reading.   

Academic Silos 

Unfortunately, much of the siloing we see at the organization or systems-level begins to some degree in higher education and academic settings.  Peter Senge, systems scientist and most known as the author of “The Fifth Discipline – The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization” (Doubleday, 1990) notes that true learning organizations pride themselves on shared learning.  Unfortunately, silos develop when a product or service is successful.  Consequently, the more successful the silo, the higher the walls.  Senge warns that success and pride suppresses innovation and collaborative experimentation outside of the silo.  This happens when you see learning and knowledge as proprietary or a commodity to be protected.  Senge explains that educators and higher ed institutions, unfortunately, oftentimes can have the tallest silos and be the least innovative by focusing on deep learning rather than engaging in interdisciplinary ideas and solutions.   

But maybe there is a different path?  Just as nihonga is impossible to teach outside of the artisan ecosystem, perhaps we can say the same about our respective disciplines.  It is impossible to teach social work without including the disciplines of psychology, sociology, education, public health, law, business, economics, etc.  

Higher education must continue to adapt to an ever-changing world and explore how we are to educate our students to become the kind of citizens of a local and global community that is highly complex and interconnected, yet broken and fragmented.  We have the opportunity to shape the next wave of leaders who can see the world in new interdependent ways and draw from perspectives of many disciplines.   

Here are some ways we can do this: 

• We can help students become better analytical and critical thinkers.  Rather than disseminating and depositing knowledge resulting in passive consumption of knowledge, we can help them become innovators, problem-solvers, and “makers of knowledge.”³  
• Next, we should continually look for opportunities to model for students how to engage in informed and collaborative interactions with other disciplines. These interactions can range from guest lectures, interdisciplinary seminars and symposiums to scholarly activities, including research.   

• Some academic and professional communities have established interdisciplinary research centers that gather scholars from other departments, universities, and institutions to engage in innovative solutions to the most pressing problems in local and global communities.  The Center for the Study of Human Behavior is a prime example of how our college is demonstrating how we can unify diversity in scholarship to achieve common goals.  What would it look like if the behavioral and social science research community at every university⁴ took the lead in breaking silos and use research and partnerships to eliminate disparities and inequities in their local community?  This would certainly be a beautiful thing.   

How can we lead the way?  

The Body of Christ – Leading the Way 

The good news especially for us here at CBU, as a part of the Body of Christ, we are uniquely positioned to lead the way towards kintsugi integration.   

First, we must remind ourselves of our own brokenness and recognize that our Maker came not to merely “fix us” but to make us into a new creation.  Each of us suffer from past, current, and future wounds of pride, ego, power, discrimination, injustice, or inequality.  Instead of seeing these as things to be fixed, kintsugi integration illuminates the path through unity and beauty.  Just like the fissures of a kintsugi bowl is an opportunity “waiting to be created” we are shards waiting to be made new again.   

According to Fujimura, “the heart of the Theology of Making is not only are we restored, we are to part-take in the co-creation of the New.”  We have what we need to be makers because we have the innate impulse bestowed by The Artist and Creator to create. 

As Christian scholars, we recognize that we have a unique role in the Body (Ephesians 4:11, I Corinthians 12:12-13) yet we are “all one in Christ” (Galatians 3:28).  We see diversity as necessary for our thriving and making; our community is not derived from likeness, but rather a “common-unity” of knowing that we are made in His image and have a common mission (Matthew 28, 18-20).  Paul writes in Colossians 3:10, “And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”   

As a body of faith, we are an ecosystem of artists ready to create and also key ingredients of a masterpiece ready to be unveiled.   

Finally, as Christ followers, we should be motivated not by ambition, status, or success but rather by the humility of Christ, who “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).  As someone who is just starting his career in academia, I am reminded that if I’m preoccupied worrying about status or success in my discipline, I may not live out my purpose set forth by my Maker.⁵  So my focus must stay fixed on the Cross, our greatest reminder of how Someone poured gold into our brokenness.

Just as Fujimura observed in the Rembrandt and Picasso paintings, a test of our faith demands us to choose – will we turn to our inward selves, hide in our silos and wear masks to uphold a strong ego, or will we die to self so we can live in Christ – for His fame and glory?  For Fujimura, he chose the path of joy, faith, and light. We should follow and do the same.   

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³In his book Super Courses – The Future of Learning and Teaching (Princeton University Press, 2021), Ken Bain presents an innovative way of teaching that inspires students take control of their own education and motivate themselves to think through all of the implications, applications, and possibilities of what they learning. These environments involve heterogenous student groups and allows educators to “break down the walls between academic disciplines and help students combine areas of studies to tackle important questions.” To learn more, click: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/03/31/authors-discuss-what-makes-super-course

⁴The word “university” is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium, which roughly means “community of teachers and scholars”. Imagine a uni-versity campus uni-fied with a common-unity.

⁵I’m currently reading another perfect book at the perfect time –“The Flourishing Teacher –Vocational Renewal for a Sacred Profession” by Christina Bieber Lake (Intervarsity Press, 2020). The author also created an online fall retreat, which I’m currently doing. I would love to engage in discussions about this book with other faculty. For more information, please visit the author’s website: https://christinabieberlake.com/

By E. Russ Bermejo, MSW, Lecturer 

Sometimes you read the perfect book at the perfect time. Makato Fujimura’s Art + Faith: The   Theology of Making” (Yale University Press, 2020) was just that read for me.  It was May of this year, and I had just completed my first year of teaching after nearly 25 years of direct practice and consulting in child welfare.  I had more than my fill of teaching social work theory, field seminar, and SPSS. The cumulative effects of Zoom fatigue, undergoing a career change, a global pandemic, political and social unrest had all taken its toll.  My soul needed to be restored. 

Nihonga and Kintsugi 

Fujimura is a Christian artist trained in the Japanese style of painting called nihonga which he calls “slow art” since it involves pigments made of pulverized minerals that are brushed and layered to provide contrasting effects.  Some of Fujumura’s paintings have over 80-100 layers of paint.  It’s beautiful yet painstakingly slow.  Fujimura asserts that nihonga, however, is not about materials and tools, but rather an integrated way of making since it relies on an ecosystem of trained craft folks of multiple generations, from paper makers to brush artisans, built on trust and relationships.  It is impossible to teach nihonga outside of this ecosystem.  Painting is always done with the help of others and in collaboration with others.    

In this context, beauty is only possible through integration; and integration can only come from fragmentation and brokenness.  To illustrate this, Fujimura points to another ancient Japanese art form of kintsugi¹ which involves repairing broken tea ware with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum.  There is no attempt by the artist to hide the damage, but the repair is literally illuminated.  The kintsugi artist is not focused on merely “fixing” broken pieces, but rather treats the fragmentation as part of an object’s history so it can be made even more beautiful than the original.   

Two Paths for the Artist 

Fujimura recalls visiting an exhibit at the Washington National Gallery several years ago featuring the self-portraits of two celebrated artists – Picasso and Rembrandt.  Picasso was undoubtedly one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, though as Fujimura and others observe, he was full of ego. The self-portraits of Picasso as he nears the end of his life reveals something interesting about his approach to art.  Fujimura observes “At the end of his life, Picasso disappears, there is nothing left.”   

Rembrandt, on the other hand, at the end of his life, had lost everything.  He was bankrupt with no home or possessions, he no longer had any family, and was left with diminishing eyesight.  But Rembrandt’s last of his dozens of self-portraits is his greatest masterpiece. Fujimura reflects “It literally glows, with inner light, peace and joy.”   

Fujimura’s comparison of Picasso and Rembrandt reveal two distinct paths for the artist: one path pursues ego, self-expression, fame, and fortune.  Fujimura contends that this path typifies modern art expression which requires artists to uphold and protect a strong ego.    

The other path, however, involves losing the self and the world to gain the soul. The Japanese aesthetic and philosophy of kintsugi carries a meaning of compassionate sensitivity by leading people to look outward rather than inward.  The artist honors brokenness by illuminating it to make something new again.   

Which path will I choose?   

Fragmentation and Siloed Systems 

Pulverized minerals made into beautiful pigments brushed in contrasting layers; broken shards adjoined with gold refracting to illuminate beautiful imperfection.  Fujimura spoke to me deeply through his reflections on these ancient art forms, showing me a path forward.  He became a Christian in the most unlikeliest of places – while studying art – in Japan, where between less than 1.5% of the population profess to be Christian.  Fujimura’s capacity to see beauty in brokenness helped him find personal healing and inspiration as an artist after September 11, 2001 living only three blocks from the World Trade Center.  Through his unique perspectives of finding faith through art, Fujimura provided illumination of what I was feeling within myself and the world around me.   

As a social worker and consultant in public child welfare for the last two dozen years, I witnessed first-hand brokenness and fragmentation at every level: traumatic stress of children who endured maltreatment and family separation; families affected by an array of issues such as social isolation, unstable housing, mental health, substance use disorders, domestic violence, and lack the support needed to cope with life stressors; and at the systems level, the lack of communication and coordination of agencies who oftentimes serve the same families but have no effective structure for working together towards solutions.   

Clearly, no single agency alone has capacity and resources to solve these issues.  Yet we place blame individual blame on an agency, director, or staff person rather than assume collective responsibility for protecting and serving the most vulnerable and marginalized families in our communities.  Although we have promising collaborative practice models, like Family Drug Courts, Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START), and  Plans of Safe Care,² which leverage the resources of multiple systems, including child welfare, the courts, mental health, substance use treatment, and primary health care, to do better and be better for families, we have a long way to go to meet the overall need in this country.  But how can we be better?  

To continue: Read Part 2 – We are Both Artist and Masterpiece 

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¹The Japanese word kin means “gold,” and tsugi means “mend,”

²To learn more about these collaborative solutions, visit National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare at https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/ and Children and Family Futures at www.cffutures.org

By Erin I. Smith, Ph.D.

Research.  

Now that I’ve said the r-word, I want to acknowledge that you, my reader, may be having a particular physiological and psychological reaction. (Note that sweaty palms and racing hearts could be signs of anxiety or affection; my point here is just to note that you may be having a reaction.) Whatever your reaction is, I invite you to take some deep breaths and read on.  

Research refers to a wide variety of practices aimed to systematically investigate questions in the pursuit of answers and (hopefully) understanding. These practices represent an important way of knowing in the world, an important tool to bring to addressing some of the most pressing questions in our culture. The idea that research is useful in knowing is not new. Many in church history (e.g., Justin Martyr, St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Wesley) highlighted how the Book of Nature can (and should!) be read alongside the Book of Scripture, as both reveal truth originating in God himself. Thus, for the Christian, reading the Book of Nature, as revealed through emerging research, alongside and through the lens of the Book of Scripture is not just an opportunity for a robust understanding of reality (though this is an important consequence), it affords significant opportunity to leverage ancient Biblical wisdom in the language of modern science for the glory of God’s name in our world.  

For me, this is an essential starting point for any conversation about research, especially research at California Baptist University, a distinctly Christian University committed to the Great Commission. Because I believe that the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection—is world changing, I am committed to using all tools provided to me by God to share this news. As the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians, “…I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Cor. 9:22-23). Although research symbols like the beakers found in a modern chemistry lab would not exist for nearly two millennia after Paul’s letter, I think that today Paul might include speaking the language of science and research in his exhortation if opening the Book of Nature would provide a means to engage and share the Book of Scripture.  

Although I could say more about the importance and rationale of engaging science faithfully as Christians (and I have, in small part, in this publication), I want to move from general statements about “Christians engaging research” to specific statements about the culture of research at California Baptist University. 

For faculty who have been around CBU for a while, it will not be surprising that a culture of research is a consistent priority. To this end, in 2019, the University celebrated and dedicated a momentous achievement: the announcement of a new endowed professorship, the Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Research. In October 2021, I had the honor of being appointed into this professorship. However, it’s important to note that what makes this endowed professorship particularly unique is that rather than being a role to support a single person’s research agenda, this role is dedicated to the elevation and support of faculty research across CBU’s many schools and colleges. In other words, I have the distinct privilege of supporting, equipping, and elevating the incredible and diverse research that is ongoing and developing at CBU. This is truly a privilege given what I’ve already said about research: that it can be a God-given tool to address critical issues in our community and world for the glory of God’s name and kingdom.  

I share this with you as a preamble to an invitation for you. In my role, one of my primary goals is to help CBU faculty develop, conduct, and finish research more successfully. This is not just about lines on vitas, nor is this in competition with our steadfast commitment to delivering excellent educational experiences for students. This is about leaning into our God-given calling and unique position at California Baptist University to engage research in a way that enhances our educational mission and speaks God’s truth into complex problems. For me to support you in this journey, I need to hear from you. What kinds of research do you do? What do you feel called to do? What are your barriers to engaging research? What kinds of supports do you need? This is my first invitation to you. I have set up several small group conversations for me to ask these questions so that I might hear from you, the researchers I aim to support, as to how I might best support you. I would love to listen and learn of your experiences, hesitations, victories, and challenges in research, and ideas you might have to help you thrive in this capacity. Please consider signing up here to participate in the spring, 2022 semester. 

A second, but related invitation, is to participate in a faculty learning community I am leading in the spring 2022 semester. Across 6 meetings, we will meet to discuss Robert S. Tyan and Avidan Milevsky’s (2016) text Launching a Successful Research Program at a Teaching University. I am offering this group twice, in hopes that one of the times might work in your schedule. This is a great opportunity for individuals who are looking to get started to wade into the research waters alongside others looking to do the same. This learning community aims to help participants identify common barriers to engaging research at teaching institutions like CBU and equip them with tools and resources to overcome these barriers. I would encourage you to make time for this. You can sign up here.  

If any of this has piqued your interest, I would encourage you to sign up for these opportunities, to follow up with me, and to start a conversation. We are all in different places—and that’s okay! I hope that in the coming months and years, I will have the privilege of meeting you wherever you are to support and extend the research that God has entrusted you with. I look forward to hearing from you.