Steve Thomason, associate professor of spiritual formation, is the author of “The Visual Preacher: Proclaiming an Embodied Word,” published by Fortress Press in July 2022. An artist and a rostered minister in the ELCA, Thomason aims to help preachers create and use images that make them better storytellers. Believing that pictures speak differently than words, […]
Newsletter
God Meets Us Where We Are
In these final days of Advent, many of us are frantically finishing holiday preparations—not so much lingering in the light of the Advent hope “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” as rushing headlong toward Christmas and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” This hectic pace has become such a routine part of life. And yet, I […]
Book Recommendation: ‘Women and the Christian Story: A Global History’
Jennifer Wojciechowski, assistant professor of church history, is the author of “Women and the Christian Story: A Global History,” published by Fortress Press in 2022. Spanning two millennia and six continents, the book offers a fresh history of Christianity that foregrounds the story of Christian women. “This is a story about Christian women. It is […]
Gratitude for Big Dreams
In this season of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the psalmist who calls us to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1). Today, I give thanks to God for big dreams. Five years ago, we undertook a holy experiment to reimagine theological education for a […]
“All Are Thine”
One of the joys of a Friday morning on campus is the opportunity to gather in chapel to sing favorite hymns in community with one another. One that comes around this time of year is “For All the Saints” (ELW 422). The third verse reads, Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine, we feebly struggle, they in […]
Book Recommendation: ‘Finding Our Way to the Truth: Seven Lies Leaders Believe and How to Let Go of Them’
Sarah Ciavarri ‘01 M.Div. is the author of “Finding Our Way to the Truth: Seven Lies Leaders Believe and How to Let Go of Them,” published in 2020 by Fortress Press. In it, she explores lies that masquerade as truths, subtly informing our decisions and affecting the way we lead, work, parent, and live: “I […]