Digital Learning and Design Specialist
Byung Ho Choi is a PhD candidate in the Department of History and Ecumenics, specializing in World Christianity and the history of religions. His upbringing in Indonesia as the son of Korean Protestant missionaries, along with his extensive periods of living in South Korea, Indonesia, and the United States, has significantly contributed to the development of his interest and passion for the global church and the ways in which Christianity is lived and practiced in a worldwide context.
Byung Ho’s current research focuses on the indigenous expressions of Christianity found in Southeast Asia, particularly as found in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. His dissertation project examines Toraja Christianity that is practiced by the Toraja ethnic group that resides in the highlands of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. His methodological approach interlaces ethnographic and historical methodologies, closely analyzing how Toraja Christians have intricately woven their faith into the tapestry of indigenous practices—especially through their widely recognized funeral rituals. In a broader scope, his research and teaching interests include history of Christianity, issues of conversion and social identity, inter-religious (Christian–Muslim) dialogue, ecumenism, interculturality, anthropology of Christianity, and World Christianity.
