Dear alumni/ae and friends,
Sometimes the greatest contribution a scholar can make is to ask the right question. In his 1949 work, Jesus and the Disinherited, theologian and mystic Howard Thurman asked: "what, then, is the word of the religion of Jesus to those who stand with their backs against the wall?" How we answer this question reveals volumes about the efficacy of our faith, or as Thurman himself says: "there must be the clearest possible understanding of the anatomy of the issues" facing those with their backs against the wall.
A Divinity School must be a place to ask deeper, more probing questions of ourselves, of our nation, even of our faith traditions, particularly in times of national and global crises. As we navigate war and rumors of war, domestic and international terrorism, and acts of violence beyond comprehension, our work calls us to reflect on critical theological questions. What do the words of sacred scripture mean for people who are in hurting places? What does Jesus have to say to the wounded and the outcast? For those who are among the "least of these," what can faith provide? Is religion sufficient as a remedy for those who have their backs against the wall? How can I serve as an instrument of peace in a world that’s on fire?
In the best marriage between intellect and faith, we dare to ask the questions which probe, challenge, and push—affirming that only by reasoning together, with respect and charity, can we propose solutions to the question of how to serve those whose backs are against the wall.
Best,
Yolanda Pierce
Dean
Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair
Professor of Religion & Literature
