Drew Theological School Hosts Another Exciting TTC: “Common Good(s): Economy, Ecology, Political Theology”
The 12th Annual Transdisciplinary Theological Colloquium, which took place February 7-10, 2013, proposed an exploration of a variety of threats to our common life. How might theology advance the “common good” of the human community and the planet in the face of widespread economic failures, climate change, and ecological degradation, amidst increasingly divided and shrill conversations in the public sphere? TTC thus sought to investigate what role political theology—before and after its secularization—plays in both the formulation of a vision of the common good and a plan for fair distribution of “goods” among us…Read featured article by Natalie Williams, GDR Graduate Student.
GDR Students Receive Fellowships
Beatrice Marovich is among seven scholars to receive aHuman-Animal Studies Fellowship to pursue interdisciplinary research in residence at Wesleyan University’s College of the Environment. Also, Matthew T. Riley, a student of Dr. Laurel Kearns in the sociology of religion, received the 2013 James and Sylvia Thayer Short-Term Research Fellowship to do archival research in the UCLA Library Special Collections…Read more about students receiving fellowships.
Liturgical Studies at Drew: Heather Elkins Looks Back—And Forward
Although Drew’s Graduate Division of Religion no longer houses an official Liturgical Studies Area, both the students who are completing their doctoral work for this degree and graduates of the program have been creating quite a stir. Recently Professor Heather Elkins graciously gave of her time in order to contextualize the creation and closing of this notable doctoral program…Read featured article by Shelley L. Dennis, GDR Graduate Student Intern.
Liturgical Studies Student Michael Sniffen Leads Sandy Relief Efforts
Liturgical Studies student Michael Sniffen has been making the news in recent months for his involvement in the Occupy Sandy relief efforts, while at the same time writing his dissertation and serving as pastor of St. Luke and St. Matthew on Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn. Heavily influenced by process and liberation theology, Michael understands the gospel of Jesus Christ to be a prophetic word of freedom, reconciliation, and radical welcome in a world fraught with division and oppression. He perceives his vocation as witnessing to the presence of Christ in the midst of life’s challenges and difficulties…Read featured article by Shelley L. Dennis, GDR Graduate Student Intern.
Liturgical Studies Grad Neal Presa Leads Presbyterians
Completing a doctorate in liturgical studies in 2010, Drew graduate Neal Presa has wasted no time finding ample outlets for the passions fueled by such rigorous study. In July of 2012 he was elected Moderator of the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), making him the highest elected office in the 1.9-million member church…Read featured article by Shelley L. Dennis, GDR Graduate Student Intern.
Morrey Davis: A Drew Story
When he arrived on the Drew campus in 1995 to begin his doctorate in Theological and Religious Studies at the Graduate School, Morris Davis, or Morrey as most people call him, had no idea he would one day become the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the Seminary. Dean Davis notes that his decision to pursue doctoral studies was motivated by very personal reasons…the pursuit of answers to persistent questions he’d had. “That was fuel for me to just dig into things and not worry too much about the other end,” he notes…Read featured article by Shelley L. Dennis, GDR Graduate Student Intern.
Charles McCollough: Drew Alum Publishes Eighth Book!
Since earning his PhD in theology in 1965 Charles McCollough has flourished as an artist and an author. This summer saw the publication of his eighth book, The Non-Violent Radical: Seeing and Living the Wisdom of Jesus. Sculpting in clay, bronze, wood, and stone, McCollough articulates a dense post-colonial understanding of the wisdom of Jesus’ sayings in the gospels in words and images…Read more about McCollough’s latest publication.
Mary Nyangweso Wangila: Living the Legacy of Drew Scholarship
After receiving her Ph.D. in Sociology of Religion at Drew University in 2004, Dr. Mary Nyangweso Wangila spent several years teaching in a variety of locations prior to receiving an endowed professorship at East Carolina University. As the J. Woolard and Hellen Peel Distinguished Professor in Religious Studies, Dr. Wangila continues to flex her intellectual muscles, examining the interplay between religious and other sociological forces upon issues related to women’s and human rights, such as female circumcision, domestic violence, and the effect of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa on women…Read more about Dr. Wangila.