‘Vanderbilt Divinity School’
Fall 2022 Convocation Remarks from Dean emilie m. townes
Aug. 28, 2022—Dean Emilie M. Townes’ Fall Convocation remarks, as delivered on August 26, 2022 each opening convocation, we have begun by remembering those who have died since we were last together in May and to celebrate the new births during this time as well today, we remember those killed in mass shootings in highland park, il...
Lament is not about helplessness or hopelessness
Mar. 11, 2022—Lament is not about helplessness or hopelessness. When done in community, we name that which is causing us to be tempted by despair with as much precision as possible and then begin to take steps to address—if not eradicate—that which keeps us from a more just world.
The Holy Nugget of Lent
Feb. 14, 2018—Each month, Dean Emilie M. Townes writes a letter to alumni and friends in the Divinity School’s e-newsletter, the Spire. We are releasing this month’s reflection early to mark Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the 40 day season of Lent in the Christian calendar. Here Dean Townes reflects on the meaning of Lent and its...
READ THIS BOOK: FEBRUARY 2018
Feb. 13, 2018—Each month, we ask a member of the Vanderbilt Divinity School faculty or administration to recommend a book they are currently reading. Our February recommendation is offered by Amy E. Steele, Assistant Dean for Student Life. Dean Steele recommends Ecowomanism: African American Women and Earth-Honoring Faiths by Melanie L. Harris (New York: Orbis Press, 2017)....
READ THIS BOOK: November 2017
Nov. 13, 2017—The question of the “other” is a recurring one. Many scholarly volumes wrestle with this inquiry: who is the other? Toni Morrison enters the discourse with a decidedly reflective view of her own work alongside a plethora of writers who have produced both fictional and scholarly, literary and scientific contributions. Morrison’s particular reference to “origin”...
READ THIS BOOK: September 2017
Sep. 6, 2017—Each month, we ask a member of the Vanderbilt Divinity School faculty to recommend a book they are currently reading. Our September recommendation is offered by Fernando F. Segovia, Oberlin Graduate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity. Professor Segovia recommends Requiem for the American Dream by Noam Chomsky (New York-Oakland-London: Seven Stories Press, 2017) and...
Exploring Faculty Scholarship: Seven Years of Interviews
Feb. 6, 2017—We invited Christopher Benda, a theological librarian at Vanderbilt Divinity Library, to reflect on seven years of his audio interview series “Authorial Intentions.” Chris first joined the Vanderbilt Library system in 1997 and joined the Divinity Library staff in 2007. He and his colleagues are invaluable resources supporting student and faculty scholarship and research. This...
READ THIS BOOK: January 2017
Jan. 8, 2017—Each month, we ask a member of the Vanderbilt Divinity School faculty to recommend a book they are currently reading. Our January recommendation is offered by Joerg Rieger, Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair in Wesleyan Studies and Distinguished Professor of Theology. Professor Rieger recommends Transcending Greedy Money: Interreligious Solidarity for Just Relations by Ulrich Duchrow and...
Alumni/ae Tuesday: VDS Alumni @ Vanderbilt
Jan. 5, 2017—Vanderbilt Divinity Alumni serve in churches, organizations, and institutions across the country and around the world. Some, however, choose after they graduate to make a transformative impact right here on campus. This series features VDS alumni who work at Vanderbilt, showing the range of work a theological education can prepare one to do. We hope...
Alumni/ae Tuesday – Keith Caldwell
May. 10, 2016—Our monthly Alumni/ae Tuesday Guest Post series on the VDS Voices blog highlights posts written by VDS and GDR alumni/ae. Hear firsthand about their important work in the community, collaborations with other alumni/ae and faculty, and much more. Be sure to also check out the Divinity School Instagram feed every Tuesday for our Alumni/ae Instagram Takeover Day....