Helen Rhee
Associate Professor at Westmont College
Rev. Dr. Rhee graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in history and earned a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary. Before coming to Westmont in 2004, she served as pastor of Hana Church in Buena Park, Calif. and is an ordained minister of Free Methodist Church Santa Barbara. She specializes in early Christian history, especially second- and third-century Christian literature and theology, focusing on the diverging Christian self-identities in relation to Greco-Roman culture and society. Her books include “Early Christian Literature: Christ and Culture in the Second and Third Centuries,” “Loving the Poor, Saving the Rich: Wealth, Poverty, and Early Christian Formation,” and "Wealth and Poverty in Early Christianity." She received the Bruce and Adaline Bare Teacher of the Year Award in Humanities in 2010 and the Faculty Researcher of the Year Award in 2014. In the fall 2016, she led the Westmont in East Asia program.
Specialization(s)
Early Christian literature and theology; wealth and poverty in early Christianity; Greco-Roman medicine and early Christian healthcare
Rev. Dr. Helen Rhee, Professor of Church History at Westmont College & Associate Pastor of Free Methodist Church, adds to our understanding of God’s intent and absolute ownership of the created world and the ramifications for human stewardship. She gives depth to notions of “sufficient care” and “appropriate enjoyment” in a global culture of affluence.