David Kyuman Kim is a professor of religious studies and American studies, the author of Melancholic Freedom: Agency and the Spirit of Politics and has been called by Cornel West “the leading philosopher of religion and culture of his generation.” He is founder of Radical Love Productions, a media platform dedicated to building a common culture dedicated to social justice and to living our best moral selves.

Each year the cathedral chooses a theme for inspiration and reflection, and in 2022 our theme is connection. Join Dean Malcolm Clemens Young during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month for a conversation with Kim about cynicism, racism and violence, and the radical love it takes to see the humanity in others and to reach across to bridge that gap.

Each year the cathedral chooses a theme for inspiration and reflection, and in 2022 our theme is connection. Join Dean Malcolm Clemens Young during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month for a conversation with Coffman about how small groups with a common goal and working cooperatively can result in wondrous social change. 

WATCH Radical love | David Kim | TEDxConnecticutCollege 

About the Guest 

David Kyuman Kim is a professor, acclaimed public intellectual, author, entrepreneur, classically-trained musician, and food and wine enthusiast. He comes to IOP from the academy and from the world of hospitality. David has been a professor of religious studies and American studies for over 20 years, with appointments at Brown, Connecticut College, the Social Science Research Council, UPenn, Union Theological Seminary (NYC), and UC Berkeley. He is the author of Melancholic Freedom: Agency and the Spirit of Politics (Oxford 2007). For over 15 years, he was Creative Consultant for David Dorfman Dance. Cornel West calls David “the leading philosopher of religion and culture of his generation.” David is also a leading figure in the restaurant world, having served as president of a major hospitality group in the Bay Area. He is widely recognized as a tastemaker and entrepreneurial innovator in the restaurant industry. He is founder of Radical Love Productions, a media platform dedicated to examining the human condition and elevating the best of everyday people. Radical Love Productions is launching numerous podcasts, including “The Hope Index,” an audio lab dedicated to building a common culture dedicated to social justice and “About Us,” a conversation-driven dive into the challenges of living our best moral selves. He lives in Oakland. 

About the Moderator 

The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner.   

About  The  Forum  

The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  More about Grace Forum Online 

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