Doing Theology with Radical Particularities: Insights from African American Theology

This paper examines the challenges of representing marginalized groups in theological discourse, particularly in the context of Korea’s constrained theological climate. This study draws on the works of two African American theologians, Emilie Townes and Victor Anderson, whose theological responses resonate with challenges comparable to those in contemporary Korean theology, to seek insights for promoting radical particularities. Townes’ concept of the fantastic hegemonic imagination critiques systemic mechanisms of erasure, while her counter- memory offers a method for reclaiming silenced narratives and resisting reductive stereotypes. Anderson’s critique of categorical racism and his proposal of the grotesque genius emphasize the importance of embracing the unsettling and contradictory aspects of identity, challenging essentialist and heroic representations. Together, their approaches suggest pathways for Korean theology to affirm the full diversity of marginalized identities without reducing them to socially acceptable norms. This paper argues for a transformative approach to theological ethics in Korea—one that resists hegemonic narratives and embraces the radical diversity of minority groups as essential to the flourishing of a just and inclusive community.