Schedule of Sessions

All Virtual Sessions – Fridays, 1:00-3:30 EST

• Session 1 – March 25, 2022 (virtual)
• Session 2 – April 22, 2022 (virtual)
• (No May mtg)
• In person: June 6-10, 2022 – Wabash Center in Crawfordsville Indiana
• Session 3  – July 15, 2022 (virtual)
• Session 4 – August 12, 2022 (virtual)
• Session 5 – September 16, 2022 (virtual)
• Session 6 – October 14, 2022 (virtual)
• Session 7 – November 4, 2022 (virtual)

Leadership Team

Roger S. Nam, Ph.D., Candler School of Theology 

Katherine Turpin, Ph.D., Iliff School of Theology

Participants

Aizaiah Yong, Pacific School of Religion
Andrew Wymer, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Courtney Buggs, Christian Theological Seminary
Cynthia Cameron, University of St. Michael’s College
Dong Jeong, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Ekaterina Lomperis, George Fox University
Hilary Scarsella, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
Jee Hei Park, Seminary of the Southwest
Jennifer Wojciechowski, Luther Seminary
Kishundra King, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, Iliff School of Theology
Melissa Ramos, Georgia Fox University
Nick Elder, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
Segbegnon Gnonhossou, Seattle Pacific University

Description

This workshop invites scholars of religion and theology who are in their first years of teaching, to join a relational community of peers and leaders who value the cultivation of capabilities for generative collegiality. We will nurture a sense of vocational agency in navigating competing values among personal commitments, institutional mission and demands, and student learning needs. This community builds itself through the exploration of:

• the significance of embodiment;
• institutional culture;
• teaching in contexts marked by difference;
• nourishing our imaginative capacity as teachers;
• responsiveness to the demands of the times.

The hybrid workshop will gather 14 participants for seven online sessions and an in-person summer session at Wabash Center. Sessions will include small group and plenary discussions, structured and unstructured social time, and time for personal and communal discovery, relaxation, restoration, exercise, meditation, restoration, and shared meals.

Workshop Goals

• To create a restorative and collaborative space in which participants can reflect on their vocation, craft and employment as teachers
• To encourage participants to own and develop their own sense of embodied agency in their teaching, institutional life, and career development
• To explore pedagogical practices that foster self-reflexive discovery, honor authenticity of voice and authority, bolster creativity and innovation, and yield potential for liberative change
• To sharpen personal capacity to navigate institutional cultures and realities in ways that integrate passion and ability, proactive agency, and strategic alliances for academic flourishing and advancement

Participant Eligibility

• 1-5 years of teaching in a full-time, tenure track or other continuing position;
• Teaching in an accredited seminary or theological school in the United States, Puerto Rico, or Canada;
• Doctoral degree completed by end of 2021 spring semester;
• Final tenure decision, if applicable, no earlier than Spring 2023;
• Institutional support to participate fully in sessions and to complete fellowship project in following year.

Application Materials 

Please complete and attach the following documents to the online application:

1. Application Contact Information form. 

2. Cover letter:

• An introductory letter describing the challenges and opportunities at your institution as regards to your teaching, scholarship and/or service, and your reasons for wanting to participate in this collaborative endeavor (250 words).

3. Brief essay describing:

• A metaphor that captures a central character or quality of your teaching (250 words)
• A moment or experience of community that formed your teaching identity (250 words)

4. Academic CV (4-page limit). 

5. Letter of institutional support for your full participation in this workshop from your dean, rector, president, provost, or principal. The letter should also address your potential for innovative teaching and collaborative contribution to the group.