Faith & Beauty
Yanan Rahim Navarez Melo is a writer, artist, and emerging theologian from the Philippines.
He is currently pursuing an M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he is concentrating his research on race, ecology, Asian American theology, and American religious history.


Subscribe to Sacred Sonder
Yanan's Newsletter on Faith and Beauty
Sacred Sonder is a public, online journal where Yanan shares his reflections on faith (religious history) and beauty (theological aesthetics) as they intersect with his environmental/eco-theological research interests. In his work and research, Yanan strives to understand the world in terms of a doctrine of creation that invites belonging and inspires various theologies of making, as God intended all things to be en Christo. Hence, Yanan seeks to inspire others to see beauty in the places that have been marginalized—to touch the dirt and discover the journey of living in harmony with the land itself. And this is the heart of Sacred Sonder.
Publications
Yanan's writing has been featured on Christianity Today, Sojourners, Inheritance Magazine, the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture, and more.
Music
After Supper EP
A Neo-Classical Music Project
Hailing from Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, Yanan Melo is a student of theology who seeks to bridge the gap between theological reflection and artistic curiosity. Compelled by the tragic tale of Siegfried, a Germanic hero, Yanan created the music project Yanan & Siegfried as a meditation on spiritual decay and eucharistic ascent.
Yanan crafts a unique, neo-classical sound with a diversity of musical inspirations, ranging from post-rock to hip hop and house music. With his first EP After Supper, the 22 year old composer divulges the experience of doubt and restlessness in the Christian life as a means of grace - a painful, yet growing journey to touch the fingertips of God. Launching into a larger project to explore the sacramental life, these first few songs only promise a taste of more to come.
