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Welcome back! Friendly reminder that Labor Day (Monday, September 2) is a staff holiday, and VDS offices are closed. Classes will continue for students. Lots to read up in this first edition of the weekly Digest for the new school year.
If you have submissions, please send them to Sophia by end of day every Thursday.
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Administrative Items Requiring Action
- 2nd year MTS students: If you haven’t turned in your Project 360’s to Asst. Dean Armour and your advisor, do so ASAP. They are past due.
- Faculty: Please email bio and CV updates to Sophia
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Administrative Items Of Note
None at this time.
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| VDS Community Announcements
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Weekly Spiritual Formation Opportunities
The community is invited to weekly gatherings while classes are in session:
First Tuesdays: Constructing Faith and Practice Labs or “The Lab” in the Student Life Suite, from 12-1pm,
Simple lunch provided on a first come first-served basis.
Community worship happens each Wednesday in The Space from 11:15am-12:00pm; immediately following worship, meet us in the Common Room/Student Lounge (ground level) for Coffee Hour from 12:00-1:00pm. If you are interested in joining the Worship Committee, please Dr. Stephanie Budwey or Dr. Dave Perkins.
Weekly Centering Prayer
Each Thursday beginning, September 12, from 12:30-1:00pm, join us for Centering Prayer with Kara Lassen Oliver, from the Upper Room.
Spiritual Formation Small Groups
You are invited to join or form a small group (between 4-6 people) who will commit to meeting at least monthly to read an entry from the “Mining Spiritual Resources for Social Justice Leadership” handbook. At the conclusion of each entry are discussion questions that invite deeper reflection and engagement with some idea related to spiritual practices. If you are interested, please sign your small group up with Dean Steele. She has printed handbooks in her office. You can also find the entire handbook, here.
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Just Lunch: Mondays, Noon
Dig in with the community for casual conversation and story sharing about religion and justice, and a free vegetarian lunch. Each week will feature a different speaker on ecological and economic justice. Spots are limited: PleaseJoin us Monday, September 2, at Noon in Div Room 127 for the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice weekly "Just Lunch" gathering. On this Labor Day, we welcome Vonda McDaniel, President of the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, as guest speaker. Vonda comes with a rich history and background at the intersection of faith, labor, and civil rights activism. To RSVP for future gatherings this term, visit this link and RSVP by Wednesday(s).
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Tuesday: Constructing Faith and Practice Labs
On Tuesday (and first Tuesdays of the month), we'll hold Constructing Faith and Practice Labs or “The Lab” in the Student Life Suite, from 12-1pm.
Simple lunch provided on a first come first-served basis. On September 3rd, Micah Redding, Executive Director of the Christian Transhumanist Association will help facilitate conversation. His leading questions will be: What does it mean to be human? Is it a biological, philosophical, or theological category? Do we become something else if we augment ourselves technologically? Have we already crossed that line?
About this week's facilitator: Micah Redding is the Executive Director of the Christian Transhumanist Association, and an international speaker on artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and the future of humanity. He's been featured in places like BBC World Radio, Wired, and Christianity Today, and contributes broadly to both theological and secular transhumanist dialogue. Micah Redding organizes the Christian Transhumanist Conference, bringing together leading thinkers in religion and technology from around the world.
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Active Shooter Training
Captain Leshaun Oliver, VUPD, will host the entire VDS community in an Active Shooter/Threat Training, on Monday, September 9, 2019, from 12:00-1:00pm in Room 124. Bring your own lunch.
Questions? Contact Amy Steele, Asst. Dean for Student Affairs and Community Life.
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Austen Hartke: Sept. 16, 11:30
What do you do when a teen in your youth group comes out? How do you pastor a gay, trans, or intersex person who comes to you asking about the "clobber passages?" How do you create liturgy to commemorate a name change? Do the songs you love include language that could be alienating for some people in your congregation, and if so, how do you decide to change them? Join author Austen Hartke for a time of education, discussion, and encouragement as we figure out how to make the Gospel we preach actually sound like good news to every member of the Body of Christ.
September 16, 11:30-1, Divinity School G29
Brown Bag Lunch—Dessert and Drinks provided
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Additional VDS Events At-A-Glance
A number of events are happening this fall! Save the dates and watch for more info, soon.
SEPTEMBER
17-19: Paul Vasile, Music that Makes Community (RACC, Community Life)
19-21: Poverty Scholars/POOR Magazine
OCTOBER
18: Pathways Conference. Visit website. 24-25: Fall Break
29: Dying of Whiteness Community Town Hall @ Nashville Public Library. Learn more >>
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| Additional Announcements for Campus and Beyond
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Free NYT Digital Subscription
Did you know that Vanderbilt provides free The New York Times digital subscriptions to all Vanderbilt students, faculty, and staff? This free subscription is a wonderful personal and professional resource, which includes current news, archives dating back to 1851, podcasts, apps for cooking, and much more.
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Parenting Group Programming
Parenting Group begins its fall programming on Wednesday, September 11. They will host Stacy Simplican who will be leading a discussion about gender socialization. 12:00 noon, Buttrick 123 (this is inside the Women’s and Gender Studies suite)
Lunch will be served on a first-come basis. If you plan to attend, please use this form to let them know you are coming, and any dietary restrictions you have. Feel free to share this event with others who may benefit from learning about this topic.
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The Dr. Martin McCullough Lecture Series Welcomes Miroslav Volf
Sunday, September 8, 3pm at First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro. All are welcome to join this free event open to the public.
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Nonviolence Series by United Religions Initiative Nashville
United Religions Initiative Nashville Cooperation Circle (URI NCC) is co-hosting three events, September 20-22 to honor Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birthday and how he preached and practiced “AHIMSA”, inspired by the premise that all living beings have the spark of the divine spiritual energy; therefore, to hurt another being is to hurt oneself.
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Thistle Farms Documentary
A documentary about local nonprofit, Thistle Farms, is being produced! Thistle Farms believes that women who have survived trafficking, prostitution, and addiction deserve a second chance at life, and provide services to help women find wholeness, backed by the belief that ‘love heals.’ To learn more, contact Abby Siegel Hyman at abby.hyman@vanderbilt.edu
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International Day of Peace Interfaith Service
In support of the International Day of Peace, an interfaith service of worship will be held at Scarritt Bennett Center. The theme is “Let us Work and Pray Together for Environmental Peace” and representatives of different faiths will share prayers from seven religious faiths that speak to the condition of the environment. September 12, 7-8pm. Download flyer to learn more.
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Ministry Intern Needed
The Presbyterian Association for Science, Technology, and the Christian Faith (PASTCF) is currently seeking a seminary student to serve as an advisory member to its board for a two-year term, beginning in the fall of 2019. This advisory member should have some familiarity with at least one branch of the natural or social sciences (e.g., have majored in one of the sciences) and be planning to pursue some type of validated ministry upon completion of seminary. Those with only one year of seminary left are welcome to apply.
If you are interested in applying for this position, please contact Dr. Mark Douglas at DouglasM@ctsnet.edu.
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| Faculty, Students, and Alumni/ae in the News,on the Road, and Publications
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Victor Judge (Asst. Dean for Academic Affairs) has been invited by the Center for Teaching to lead an Open Classroom Event on Tuesday, September 10th at 10:00 a.m.–12:40 p.m. in DIV128. This year’s CFT Open Classroom Events will be organized around three challenges and taught by faculty with particular insights into how to meet them. Judge was selected to model how to teach creatively. A short reflection discussion, facilitated by CFT staff, will follow the class. Faculty and TAs may learn more about the event’s courses, faculty, reviews, and registration links, here.
Laine Walters Young joins VDS as the Assistant Director of the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in the Professions. Laine recently received her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt's Graduate Department of Religion, and may be familiar to students as the VDS writing tutor as well a regular teaching assistant. Laine also holds an MA in religion from Harvard Divinity School and a BA in Communications and Global Studies from Pacific Lutheran University. As demonstrated by her dissertation, Laine is especially interested in how contemporary young people are shaped and formed as ethical agents in the contemporary world. As the parent of an 18 month old son, Laine has a particular concern in thinking through best practices in ethical and psycho-spiritual formation of the next generation. She brings a deep and broad set of skills and interests to the CTP, and we are eager to have her on board. Please do come by her office on the 2nd floor and welcome her, in this new role at Vanderbilt University.
A warm welcome to The Reverend Laura Mariko Cheifetz (pronouns: she/her) who joined the Vanderbilt Divinity staff as Assistant Dean for Admissions, Vocation, and Stewardship. Rev. Cheifetz has extensive experience in non-profits, theological education, and denominational leadership through her work in the Presbyterian United Nations Office, Mission Presbyterian Church, McCormick Theological Seminary, the Fund for Theological Education (now the Forum for Theological Exploration), the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. You can find Rev. Cheifetz in the Admissions Suite on the first floor.
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Jobs, Fellowships, Scholarships, and More- Visit the job listings page.
- Thinking about next Summer? Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth offers kindergarten through twelfth grade students the opportunity to take accelerated courses on Vanderbilt campus in the summer. PTY is now accepting 2020 Course Proposals from graduate students and faculty. They are also hiring graduate students for the following Summer 2020 positions: Teaching Assistants, Senior VSA Staff. Learn more: PTY: https://pty.vanderbilt.edu. Questions: Email mark.m.shivers@vanderbilt.edu
- Bossey Scholarship for UMC students: The Council of Bishops (COB) is pleased to offer an annual scholarship to one student to participate in the “Complementary Certificate in Ecumenical Studies”(CC) through Bossey in conjunction with the University of Geneva. A total amount of $10,000 US will be sent to Bossey on behalf of the chosen student. Applicants for this scholarship must be active members of The United Methodist Church, be between the ages of 22 and 30, be preparing through an approved seminary for vocational ministry in The UMC, and be accepted by Bossey into this program.
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