Briana Wong Smoak

Education:

• Ph.D. World Christianity and History of Religions, Princeton Theological Seminary
• M.Div, Princeton Theological Seminary
• B.A. in History and French, Columbia University in the City of New York

Biography:

Briana started at Baylor as a Lecturer in the World Religions in August 2025, after having previously worked at Phillips Theological Seminary and Wake Forest University School of Divinity. She takes great delight in her role as a teacher, seeking to help students grow as they continue to discern their callings. Briana is passionate about the biblical mandate for justice and encourages her students to live into God’s heart for those on the margins. In her free time, Briana enjoys reading, exploring nature, and participating in recreational athletic pursuits. A competitive soccer player and track athlete in her youth, Briana now loves hiking and indoor rock climbing. 

Academic Interests and Research:

Briana’s academic work centers on Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and how Christians in the West might be able to learn more about following Jesus by listening to the voices of those from other parts of the world.

Publications:

Monograph:

Cambodian Evangelicalism: Cosmological Hope and Diasporic Resilience. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2023.

Select Articles/chapters:

“Civilizing Mission?: West African Midwives within the Mission of Francis Aupiais.” In “Public Engagement in World Christianity and the History of Religion,” edited by Thomas Seat, Christie Chui-Shan Chow, Sunder John Boopalan, and Deanna Ferree Womack. Fortress Press. Forthcoming.

“The Historical Interface between Buddhism and Christianity in Cambodia, with Special Attention to the Christian and Missionary Alliance, 1923–1970.” Buddhist-Christian Studies, vol. 40 (2020), 255–271. 

 “Buddhist-Christians in Cambodian America.” Studies in World Christianity 25, no. 1 (2019): 50–70.

Courses Taught at Baylor:

REL 1350 Christian Heritage (Fall 2025)