Growing up in the slums of New Delhi, Dr. Rajkumar Boaz Johnson鈥檚 search for the meaning of life began early. When he walked to Hindu grammar school, he faced a dilemma. 鈥淚 encountered two different realities,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ne was the reality of poverty and injustice. The other was that of high-caste Hindu learning.鈥� He wrestled with this dichotomy and expanded his spiritual search.
鈥淭he philosophy of life taught and espoused by Jesus the Messiah, as seen in the Gospels, captured my mind and imagination,鈥� Johnson says, 鈥淚 realized that in this person lay the answers to the questions that plagued my mind.鈥� Decades later, that initial encounter with Jesus continues to fascinate Johnson and informs his life and work as an expert on the relationship of evangelical Christianity to world religions.
Today, Johnson walks with students grappling with their own big questions. He treasures the diversity of thought and experience within North Park鈥檚 biblical and theological studies department. 鈥淚t is a joy to mentor students and see them develop their own skills, which incorporate their faith journey with their academic learning,鈥� he says.