Feature Category
VDS Feature: Telling a Truthful Narrative: Lessons in Creative Writing
Apr. 2, 2014—by Julia Nusbaum, MTS2 I have always found healing in words. While growing up and feeling sad or lonely, I would find a book and become absorbed in the words. Stories made me feel whole again— the words made worlds come alive inside of me. I wanted to make people feel the way I did...
VDS Feature: “Hyper-Calvinist Turned Mystic-Heretic”
Mar. 19, 2014—When I first decided that I would like to contribute to the Divinity School’s blog, I immediately gravitated toward retelling my VDS journey, while also fighting the academic urge to explicate my identifiers: Hyper-Calvinist and Mystic-Heretic. Now, however, I feel moved to leave those terms in their respective ambiguous places. To be fair, I will...
VDS Feature: Where Do We Go From Here?
Mar. 12, 2014—by Shelby Lucas, MDiv3 My personal journey through theological education is not unlike that of many of my colleagues. After earning my baccalaureate in 2009, I took a few years off from higher education to discern where I wanted to be vocationally. I moved to Nashville. I taught preschool. I practiced being an adult. I...
VDS Feature Alumnus Seth Kohrman
Feb. 26, 2014—Religion and spirituality always have been central aspects of my person. I grew up in a conservative Christian environment. I loved it. It was one of the greatest driving forces in shaping the person I was. I was especially passionate about Christian Scripture. This love led me to want to build a professional career out...
VDS Feature: Gabriel Horton, BA’11, MDiv3
Feb. 19, 2014—These days, I leave too many Divinity School discussions in exasperation. My blood pressure can’t take it. Just the other day, a dispute about climate change nearly lost me a friendship. I should eat more spinach, or perhaps dark chocolate, to help decrease anxiety. I suppose I could learn also to accept that we all...
VDS Feature: Considering Chaplaincy
Feb. 12, 2014—After graduating from VDS in 2011, I pursued a ministry in clinical chaplaincy, or what has also started to be known as spiritual counseling. I’m writing to those of you considering the field and even to those of you who aren’t. I am incredibly happy with the work that I do, even though I had...
VDS Feature: “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”
Feb. 5, 2014—This is the final in a three part series of sermons delivered during the Academy of Preachers by academy members James W. Dennis, Lauren McDuffie and Shantell Hinton. The Academy of Young Preachers has become a sacred and special space for me. As someone who has continually questioned my own call to ministry as a young...
VDS Feature: “Who Am I?”
Jan. 29, 2014—This is the second in a three part series of sermons delivered during the Academy of Preachers by academy members James W. Dennis, Lauren McDuffie and Shantell Hinton. For the second year in a row, I spent the final week of my winter break at the National Festival of Young Preachers. This is an annual...
VDS Feature: “Do You Understand What You are Reading?”
Jan. 23, 2014—The Academy of Young Preachers is a trans-denominational organization that seeks to identify, support, and inspire young preachers and their calls to preaching. Founded by Dwight Moody in 2010, the academy holds nationwide conferences when young preachers are invited to preach sermons on the theme of conference. This year, young preachers from around the nation...
VDS Feature: Jeani Cranford
Jan. 15, 2014—The journey to divinity school has been a long, winding road spanning nearly twenty years. I first felt the call to ministry in 1995 through a class meditation in a required course on religion. Through a series of choices and by learning to hear the Divine voice above all others (including family and friends), I...