note on Curriculum development and contributions
All papers and curriculum pieces are approved by the Director. Individual curriculum developers are responsible only for the material on which their names appear.
Mako A. Nagasawa
Founder, Executive Director
Mako grew up in Cerritos, CA and went north to Stanford, where he studied Industrial Engineering and Public Policy, with a focus on education. He worked at Intel Corporation for 6 years while serving a Spanish-speaking ministry to Mexican immigrants in East Palo Alto, CA. He married Ming in May, 1999 and moved to Boston, MA. He then worked for two startup companies trying to bring technology and jobs to inner city communities. Since 2000, Mako, Ming, and their two children John and Zoe have lived among friends in a Christian intentional community house in a Black and Brown neighborhood in Dorchester.
Mako did campus ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship from 2001 - 2014 and founded The Anástasis Center in 2014 (then called New Humanity Institute). They worship at Neighborhood Church of Dorchester where Mako serves on the Elder Team. He earned a Master of Theological Studies from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in May 2019. In addition to Christian ethics, theology, biblical studies, and early church history, Mako enjoys photography, food, tea, and stories from around the world. He misses the Pacific Ocean.
Listed below are Mako’s publications.
Books:
Christmas with Irenaeus: How Jesus Honors Creation, the Human Body, and Human Story
Beverly, MA: Trinity Press, 2023. A book of ten short devotional readings for Advent and Christmas, drawn from the writings of the second century Christian leader, Irenaeus of Lyons. For more on Irenaeus, see this page
Abortion Policy and Christian Social Ethics in the United States
Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2021. Check out the reviews at Amazon, too. See our Study and Action Guide to Abortion Policy, based on materials from a three session class, including pre-readings, Zoom video recordings from the class, and even. more material; the page also links to Mako’s podcast discussions about the book. See also Mako’s Facebook author page.
Book Contributions:
Reparations and the Theological Disciplines. Prophetic Voices for Remembrance, Reckoning, and Repair
Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2023. Chapter “Don’t Make Me Feel Guilty: How Penal Substitution Interferes With Reparations and Reconciliation”.
Honor, Shame, and the Gospel: Reframing Our Message and Ministry
Littleton, CO: William Carey Publishing, 2020. Chapter “How to Empower Personal Healing and Social Justice, with Medical Substitutionary Atonement”.
Lazarus at the Gate: Economic Discipleship Curriculum
2007. Co-authored with Dr. Gary VanderPol and Rachel Anderson.
Articles:
“Finding a Home in God’s Bigger Story”
Intersection Journal, The Telos Collective, April 15, 2021. “Many Christian conservatives decry the decline of “culture”—while seeking “dominion” over media, government, etc.—without doing much to help local communities… More liberal-minded Christians often celebrate a little “diversity training” at work, while practicing NIMBY-ism (“not in my backyard”) in zoning, protecting their kids at all costs, and neglecting low wages and the high cost of living. Are we only interested in a middle- and upper-class diversity, in our unsustainable suburban lifestyles? God cares about our sense of home, place, and community.”
“Restorative vs. Retributive Justice and the Implications for Public Life”
Journal of Urban Ministry, June 2020. “My daughter – then a 3rd grader – came out of school crying. Her teacher explained to me that she had confessed to writing graffiti on the stalls of the girls’ bathroom… “Restorative justice” is often contrasted with “retributive justice” in formal criminal justice. In a technical sense, “restorative justice” means that the offender must help undo the harm s/he did, especially if the victim is able to name what would be helpful to move forward. That compares with “retributive justice,” which means that the offender must suffer in some proportional way to what s/he did. The former paradigm is victim-centered. The latter is offender-centered.”
The Christian Century, April 2016. “Maybe it’s because I’m Japanese-American that I feel skeptical reading Western political philosophy. When were we ever born as free individuals into a state of nature, as Locke and Rousseau asserted? I’ve always believed that we’re born into families, with binding ties, benefits, and obligations. The Bible affirms that relationships are not merely social constructs for us to make and break as we choose.”
Ian MacDonald
assistant director
Ian graduated from the University of Connecticut with degrees in Physics and Philosophy. At first, his search for a deeper theological understanding of his faith led him towards High Federal Calvinism, but material from The Anástasis Center caused him to consider the Medical Substitution framework and the early church. This theological lens drastically changed the way he viewed God, the Cross, and the story of Scripture, and he has since been committed to sharing it wherever he can. Ian is interested in the ways that one's understanding of atonement impacts other aspects of faith, such as evangelism, justice, vocation/calling, and more. Ian taught an 8 week Sunday School series on atonement and evangelism (link coming soon).
Ian has lived in Connecticut for most of his life, except for a year he was a teacher in Washington DC. He and his wife Biota live in the Southwest corner of Hartford, CT, where they are involved in several local ministries that aim to serve the needs of the communities and to connect urban and suburban Christians and churches. Until June 2023, Ian worked as a high school math and science teacher; now he is full time as Assistant Director at The Anástasis Center. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Theological Studies with Grace Communion Seminary.
Biota Li MacDonald
director of operations
Biota brings 10+ years of marketing experience, including expertise in integrated and digital marketing, research consulting, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her 9-5 job, she is currently a Director of Marketing Strategy at a global market research agency, where she equips clients in the financial services industry to better understand and reach their target consumers - and hopes to do the same for churches and ministries with The Anastasis Center.
Biota grew up mostly in the Midwest, moved to Connecticut with her family before high school, met her husband Ian while they were both at a UConn InterVarsity gathering, and has lived in the state ever since. Being a leader in a multiethnic church plant brought her to the city of Hartford. Now as a current resident and Bushnell Park Conservancy board member, she loves walking in Hartford's beautiful public parks with her two rescue dogs and listening to a podcast at 2x speed. She's also an avid fan of personality typing for leadership development, as a One (Enneagram), Teacher/Shepherd (Five Fold Ministry / APEST), Collaborator (Predictive Index), and Myers-Briggs hater. Her interests and passions also include restorative justice, emerging technology, organizational development, and growing mission-driven teams.
Hayley Rose
Curriculum Developer
Hayley Rose is a therapist with a Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with an undergraduate degree in Music (Violin) and Business from Liberty University and has worked for well over twenty years in the performing arts as a musician, teacher, and administrator. She has performed at the Kennedy Center and the White House, served as Stage Manager for a professional ballet company, and is currently President of the Youth Orchestras of Central Virginia.
Hayley is recognized as an emerging leader in the Virginia Counselors Association, and is a committed researcher on topics of diversity and equity. She has mentored women as a lay leader in church settings on topics of vocation, singleness, marriage, and parenting. She has lived in Charlottesville, Virginia, for ten years, and became a naturalized US citizen in the local Federal Courthouse one day before the “Unite the Right” protest. Hayley enjoys reflecting on the intersection of the creative arts, meritocracy, healing, and joy. Hayley has contributed to Plantation Capitalism vs. Jesus’ Jubilee Economy and the upcoming It’s a Man’s World: The Impact of Genesis 3:16.
Rachel Darnall
Curriculum Developer
Rachel completed her MA in Theological Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary in 2024. She currently lives in the Boise, ID area with her husband, two daughters, and a border collie named after Dmitri Shostakovich.
Rachel has written articles on gender, religious authoritarianism, and purity culture for various publications including Fathom Magazine and Current Magazine. Her interest in women's history and theological ethics drew her to The Anástasis Center and continue to inspire her work on the forthcoming It’s a Man’s World: The Impact of Genesis 3:16.
Katelyn Hannan
Instructor
Katelyn was born and raised in Huntington, West Virginia where she attended Marshall University and earned a B.A. in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Interpersonal Communication, as well as minors in Greek and Religious Studies. In 2019 Katelyn and her husband, David, moved to Hamilton, MA where they studied at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She served as the Justice Ambassador during her final year and graduated in May 2022 with a Master's in Religion with a focus on Intercultural Studies. She also earned a Certificate in International Mission and Ecumenism from the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium.
Katelyn has experience serving in and supporting cross cultural ministries in the U.S. and abroad. She desires to see God's shalom present on earth as it is in heaven, specifically through pursuing racial justice. She is passionate about encouraging Christians in developing cultural humility, especially as it relates to engaging with Global Christianity, ecumenical collaboration, and cross-cultural mission. Katelyn currently works at Gordon-Conwell's Campus for Urban Ministerial Education as the Administrator for the #MyFaith Youth Ministry Grant, and as the Administrator for the Race and Christian Community Initiative at Emmanuel Gospel Center in Boston. Katelyn and David live in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston where they also worship at Neighborhood Church. Katelyn is an Enneagram One who loves ice cream and being outside. Katelyn has co-taught classes in Restorative Justice and A Long Repentance.
Sangwon Yang
Advisor, Former Curriculum Developer
Sang completed his MDiv from Duke Divinity School focused on systematic theology in 2017. His passion for theological education led him to be an Admissions Officer for Boston University School of Theology. His paper, Divine Sovereignty: John Calvin's Functional Epistemological Principle, is an example of his work. Sang hopes to empower others through theological education while making that education more accessible and approachable to a diverse range of people and communities. In 2018-19, Sang and Mako co-authored A Long Repentance: Exploring Christian Mistakes About Race, Politics, and Justice in the United States.
In his free time, Sang enjoys talking about Christian theology, Thomas Aquinas, Atonement, Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, the examples of restorative justice that he saw in post-civil war northern Uganda, and issues of race and culture. He lives in Watertown with his wife, Joanne, and his dog, Toby.
Connie Bahng
Advisor, former Curriculum Developer
Connie relates theology with psychology, restorative justice, and social justice practices. Specifically, Connie’s interests address the interplay of emotions, trauma, and violence with issues around race, immigration, women’s empowerment, and mass incarceration. Connie regards Christian education as integral to the ethical and spiritual formation of individuals, communities, and the public sphere. She is excited to walk alongside folks as they are equipped and energized to foster communities pursuing justice.
Connie appreciates a good story, and she enjoys listening to the theological narratives present in books, movies, games, music, politics, and people’s lived experience. She earned BA’s in Theology and Psychology from Boston College, a Master’s of Theological Studies from Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, and a Master’s of Sacred Theology from Boston University School of Theology focusing on Christian Social Ethics. Connie is pursuing a Ph.D. at Boston University’s School of Theology.