"We are here... Chinese Canadian Catholic Women are here": A Conversation with Dr. Fiona Li

Welcome to Episode 1of Season 4! It is amazing and wonderful to begin our 4th season! Today I speak with Dr. Fiona Li, an assistant professor and inaugural holder of the Archbishop J. Michael Miller Chair in Catholic Studies at Corpus Christi-St Mark's College. She is originally from Toronto and received her PhD in Theological Studies from Regis College and U of T. Her primary research interests lie at the intersection of feminist theology, Chinese Canadian Catholic women's experiences, and Mariology. 

In today’s podcast, Dr. Li talks about her journey into the Catholic Church through RCIA and the Catholic school system in Ontario when she was a young teenager.  We discuss what does it mean to be a Catholic theologian today?  What does it mean to be a feminist Catholic theologian today?  What does it mean to be a Chinese Canadian feminist Catholic theologian today? My conversation with Fiona centred not just on these specific questions, but on the whole notion of contextual theology, such as liberation theology. Each of us has intersectional identities from which we share our experience of the universal church. As Fiona Li says, “we are here…this group of Chinese Canadian Catholic are here.” This sort of representation, done from a feminist perspective, is not intended to minimize other’s experiences, but to create representation for this particular group of women. For Dr. Li, this means using the person of Mary as Pontifex, Mary as bridge builder for Chinese women, but this does not mean Mary is simply a bridge builder for Chinese women, but that she serves as a bridge builder for all of us, as Catholics, as Mother of God, as a bridge also to Islam. It is exciting to think about Dr. Li’s further research and how she can help continue to bridge  gaps between cultures and groups and people within the Church and outside the Church. Mary, Bridging heaven and earth, and bridging in the Magnificat the word of God for us. One who, along with God, can help us bridge division and bridge relationships. And Fiona helps us see Mary as a bridge builder between Judaism, Islam, and even Buddhism in China with Kwan Yin or Guanyin Boddhisattva as Mary.  And Fiona Li, in Vancouver, the city of bridges, drawing our attention to this exciting new theological project, grounded in the long tradition of Mary, Mother of God.

This podcast emerges from the Centre for Christian Engagement at St Mark’s College, the Catholic college at UBC, a centre that explores the Christian and Catholic intellectual tradition and seek to learn from others, other Christians, other religious traditions, and those who do not claim any particular or formal religious affiliation. 

What Matters Most is produced by the Centre for Christian Engagement at St Mark’s College, the Catholic college at UBC. The CCE is a centre at St. Mark’s College that explores the Christian and Catholic intellectual tradition and seek to learn from others, other Christians, members of other religious traditions, and from those who do not claim any particular or formal religious affiliation. Our goal, then, is to talk to a lot of people, to learn from them, to listen to them, and to find out what motivates them, what gives them hope, what gives them peace, and what allows them to go out into the world to love their neighbors.

A few thanks are in order. To Martin Strong, to Kevin Eng, and to Fang Fang Chandra, the team who helps me bring this podcast to you, but also makes the CCE run so much more smoothly. 

I also want to thank our donors to the Centre, whose generosity enables this work to take place at all: Peter Bull, Angus Reid, and Andy Szocs. We are thankful to their commitment to the life of the academic world and of the work of the Church in the world by funding the work of the CCE. I am also thankful to the Cullen family, Mark and Barbara, for their support of the ongoing work of the CCE through financial donations that allow us to bring speakers to the local and international arenas.

If you are enjoying the podcast, please let your friends know. It’s the free gift that you can give to all of your friends! And also let people know by rating and reviewing What Matters Most on your favourite podcasting platform. And subscribe to the podcast. If you are listening, please subscribe. It’s free!

Thanks again for listening and remember what matters most.   

John W. Martens

Director, Centre for Christian Engagement