Category: November 2019

There is a sweetness to this time of year that I began to feel again last evening. I was walking on the SMU campus about dusk, and I was met along the way by memories that came with unexpected vividness. The warm air, the amber light, the slight breeze: I was taken back to an autumn evening as a young boy in a park near our home. The memory affected me in a way I can’t quite explain. It was a sweet, happy remembrance, but one that made me ache inside, perhaps because it could not be held onto. It was something very real, and yet a phantom.

It was on just such an evening that I walked with Robin across another college campus, for the first time hand in hand. It was a moment out of time, electric and yet filled with an uncommon peace, and I sensed that something fundamental had changed. Thinking of it, I can almost see us as we were then. I now, long married to this same woman, eaves­drop­ping on us with an affection that is piercing. So many years have gone by, and yet it seems like yesterday.

C. S. Lewis named his autobiography Surprised by Joy. There is more to this title than meets the eye, for Lewis operated with an unusual but profoundly insightful definition of joy. For Lewis, joy is something quite different from happiness. Happiness is a good thing, to be sure, but it exists in the shallows of the human psyche. Joy is in the depths.

Joy finds us at those moments when the curtain of the ordinary is lifted, and we see, however fleetingly, the beauty, the majesty of God. Joy comes unexpectedly—perhaps in hearing a symphony, perhaps in connecting with nature, perhaps in a moment in which we know love. Often, it is the experience of perfection. Two movies come to mind: Amadeus, in which Salieri reads Mozart’s scores and, as if stabbed, drops them to the floor, believing that he has heard the very voice of God, an absolute beauty. The other film is Field of Dreams (which I won’t even try to explain; if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll understand the reference). One character, Terrence Mann, comments on what he has seen, which is the righting of old wrongs, and calls it “unbelievable.” Ray Kinsella, the lead character, responds, “It’s more than that. It’s perfect.” Other characters refer to this same reality as heaven, the place where dreams come true. It is where everything finally fits, makes sense, and where joy is found.

According to Lewis, such joy can be strangely and intensely painful. I think I can begin to understand what Lewis was getting at. One example came many years ago when Robin and I toured a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Illinois. I have always been a fan of Wright’s architecture. In fact, I grew up within two miles of a Wright house. Even as a young child, I knew that it was a special place. Wright himself, like Mozart in Amadeus, was a flawed person, but he was capable of seeing things, as Mozart heard things, that few people can.

My previous experience of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture hadn’t prepared me for what I experienced that day. Robin and I walked into the front entrance; I looked up and was stunned, and, much to my surprise (for this was an entirely new experience), tears welled up in my eyes. It was perfect; everything exactly right to the smallest detail. Even the furniture had been made to precise proportion for that one house. “This is the way it is supposed to be,” I thought. It was pure joy, but strangely painful. No structure I have ever been in produced the same reaction.

I later told my parents what had happened, and they didn’t get it. How could a building generate such a reaction? They looked at me as if I had momentarily lost my mind when, in truth, I felt as though I had found it.

Something in the absolute beauty we rarely experience, in the perfection we only occasionally glimpse, touches us at our deepest level. It creates in us an unimaginable longing to know life always at this depth, to remain in this holy place.

These are moments in which we glimpse eternity, moments when we sense what it means to be with God. It is deep calling to deep. And it hurts. Yet, there is nothing we can feel that is more exquisite. We have had a glimpse over the wall, a look through the hedgerow of day-to-day patterns and ordinary expectations, and it is breathtaking. I have never had a near-death experience, but I find it notable that many people who have describe it in these same terms, as an encounter with unfathomable joy.

A wonderful thing about memories is that they can take us, not only to the past but, by faith, also into the future. Recollections such as I described return to me, not only the texture of earlier events, but a desire for something that those prior events could themselves only approximate and anticipate. In the power of memory, I re-experience, however faintly, an echo of joy. In the process, my own standards are elevated, my desire for excellence is regenerated, and my hunger for God reinvigorated.

We may long for past moments when the beauty and perfection of eternity were foreshadowed. We cannot go back, but we believe in Christ that the longing we feel will be satisfied. Death will be swallowed up in victory; love will reign over all. If this is heaven, then let heaven touch all of our present lives, our values, our goals, our standards, and our dreams.

In the meantime, we cherish and cultivate the moments of grace, the experiences and the memories of joy. They are gifts from God to our truest self. Even if they are painful, we cherish them. Perhaps they are the thing most real. As Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” In time, in that new morning, the ordinary will offer up its extraordinary reward, and we shall know in God a joy untinged by loss.

In the fall of 2017, we began reorganizing and establishing the Office of Enrollment Management (OEM). Responsible for recruitment, admission and financial aid services, the OEM was restructured by recommendations from the Perkins Engagement Team.

In the second phase of the reorganization, we decided to assign a new title to the recruiters: Ministry Discernment Associate (MDA), a distinctive title that would more accurately describe their role. In the selection process of two new recruiters, it was emphasized that a major purpose of their job was to regularly and meaningfully engage with prospective students about their call to ministry; learn about their ministry experiences; seek to understand their gifts and talents; and, as much as possible, learn about their end goals. The MDA’s were expected to take a genuine interest in the prospective students with whom they interacted so that they might not only attract students to Perkins but also relate to each one in a manner that left the prospect with a sense of authentic interest on the part of the MDA after each encounter.

John Lowery and Caleb Palmer were invited to the join the team in the summer of 2018 and have served in the Ministry Discernment role exceptionally well.  In their first year as MDA’s, I am thrilled to report outstanding feedback from several sources. In the interest of space, I share an account of just one experience:

“While I was in the process of discerning which school was right for me, I had narrowed it down to three options, one of which was Perkins School of Theology.  During the time I visited with people from each school…I received the most welcoming experience from Perkins.  The deciding factor came from my experience … with my Ministry Discernment Associate. No other school had a person who remained in direct contact with me to walk alongside me on my journey to choosing the right seminary…they stayed in contact with me throughout the process…It was that personal touch which led me to Perkins!  Thank you to everyone who has helped me on this journey and especially…to…my Ministry Discernment Associate who took the time to walk alongside me during this time!”
– (2019 fall entering Master of Divinity student)

Our MDA’s have hit the ground running this fall and will have visited more than 30 locations by the end of October. If you have individuals who wish to receive information, a call, visit Perkins or apply, please direct them to the following link and someone from our staff will respond: https://www.smu.edu/Perkins/Admission

The next Inside Perkins, scheduled for Tuesday, November 12, will coincide with Fall Convocation and offers these exceptional opportunities: lunch with guest speakers Celestin Musekura and Samira Izad Page and attendance at the Rick Steves’ seminar: “The Holy Land: The Importance of Dual Narrative Travels in Israel and Palestine.” Attendees are also scheduled to worship, observe a class, meet the Dean and experience a walking tour of the beautiful sights on the SMU campus. Please direct interested persons to this link for registration to Inside Perkins.

We appreciate your continued support and prayers.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Margot Perez-Greene, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Enrollment Management

Perkins School of Theology is in the third year of a special University-wide effort called Pony Power.  That initiative endeavors to fortify our educational efforts by raising “current use” funds.  These are funds that can be expended during the same academic year in which they are received.  This effort is vital to the renewed strength of Perkins.

We have set the goal for Perkins at $7.1 million over the next three years.  I am happy to report that we have met our goals for years one and two!  We do have a steep hill to climb in the current year because we are losing a portion of previous funding from the United Methodist Church.  All of us together will need to stretch to make our year-three goal!

The most pressing needs are: first, funds for student scholarships and second, the unrestricted SMU Fund for Perkins.

Financial planners encourage us to have an emergency fund so that when unexpected expenses arise, we will have money to pay them.  We all understand that is a sensible plan which we should follow.  The same is true for institutions.

The SMU Fund for Perkins acts as an emergency fund for Perkins.  Money donated to that unrestricted account can be used at the discretion of the Dean for various purposes that might arise.  He can take money from that account to underwrite unexpected costs, start new initiatives or expand current programs.

This year our goal for the SMU Fund for Perkins is $300,000.  I would love to see Perkins’ faithful donors greatly exceed that and surpass our wildest expectations.

You will be hearing more about giving to this fund as the year progresses.  I hope you will join me in supporting this effort.  To give to the SMU Fund for Perkins (or any of the other funds) click this link. You will notice in the “drop-down” menu that the SMU Fund for Perkins is at the top.  Why not make an initial gift to that fund right now?  No gift is too small or too large.

As always, I am thankful for the faithful support of Perkins donors!

With a thankful heart,

John A. Martin
Director of Development

When members of the Perkins community gather in the Perkins Chapel for Advent Worship on Thursday, December 5, at 6 p.m., they will be marking three milestones: the 60^th anniversary of Perkins’ Master of Sacred Music program, the 80^th anniversary of the Seminary Singers, and the 60^th anniversary of the Advent service itself.

Advent was first celebrated in Perkins Chapel in 1959, a tradition continued every year since.

The worship will follow the classic Lessons and Carols format, with five lessons from scripture and five carols, plus a reading of one of Martin Luther’s sermons.

“The service will focus on the legacy of the Advent services here at SMU,” said Marcell Silva Steuernagel, Assistant Professor of Church Music and Director of the Sacred Music Program at Perkins. “This legacy revolves around the idea of a community gathered to ‘await together’ the coming of the one who is Emmanuel. As we wait, we sing our expectation together. Because of this the service is not a ‘concert’ in presentational format, but participatory. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear anthems performed by MSM alumni and to sing several classic Christmas hymns as well.”

One aspect will be different this year: there will be just one service, at 6 p.m., rather than the two services in past years.

“People’s schedules are very different than they were in 1959,” Steuernagel said. “The 6 p.m. time gives us the best of both worlds – late enough for those who want to come after work, and early enough that senior attendees can get home at a reasonable hour.”

The single time slot also makes it logistically easier for participation by visiting ensembles and musicians, including three choirs led by alumni of the MSM program. Each will perform at least one anthem, plus there will be a joint performance of all three choirs. The choirs are from Dallas area churches: Northaven United Methodist Church (choir directed by Stephanie Rhoades, M.S.M. ’96); University Park United Methodist Church (directed by Mark Pope, M.S.M. ’99); and Grace Avenue United Methodist Church of Frisco, Texas (directed by Laurie Hanson Roberts, M.S.M. ’90, and Bill Roberts, M.S.M. ’92).

Steuernagel also plans to incorporate a piece by composer Jane Marshall, who passed away in 2019 and had many ties to SMU and Perkins. He is also composing an original piece for the occasion.

The Advent service was instituted in 1959 by Professors Grady Hardin and Lloyd Pfautsch and is closely tied to the development of Perkins’ Master of Sacred Music Program.  A forerunner to this tradition was established in 1948 when Perkins Prof. Fred Gealy led the Seminary Singers, a non-auditioned ensemble of theology and sacred music students, and the Perkins community in a program of Christmas music during the last chapel service of the fall semester.

Worshippers should allow ample time for parking.  Parking for the Advent Service will be in the Meadows Museum Parking Garage located across the street from Perkins Chapel.

Perkins School of Theology is up for reaccreditation with the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in 2020. That involves an extensive two-year process of self-study and peer review that is required once each decade to maintain Perkins’ ATS accreditation.

But O. Wesley Allen, Jr., the faculty member who’s spearheading the reaccreditation process, says it’s more than just jumping through a series of institutional hoops. The process became an opportunity for all members of the Perkins community to reflect and look ahead.

While there’s no concern that Perkins won’t be re-accredited, “Everybody has taken this process very seriously,” said Allen, who is Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics.  “We have used this time for self-evaluation and looking toward the future.”

Virtually every theological school in the U.S. and Canada – including mainline Protestant, evangelical and Roman Catholic institutions – holds this accreditation and must seek reaccreditation every 10 years.

The entire process takes more than two years and culminates with a site visit to Perkins by an Accreditation Evaluation Committee from the Commission on Accrediting of the ATS on February 10-13, 2020. (The committee is made up of faculty and staff from other theological schools; members of Perkins faculty and administration have served on site committees for other schools.)

Allen has worked closely with Duane Harbin, Assistant Dean for Technology, Planning & Compliance, as well as an accreditation steering committee and several subcommittees.

The process also required extensive feedback and input – by way of interviews and focus groups — from a wide range of Perkins constituents: current students, alumni, faculty, staff and senior administrators, and the Perkins executive board.

“The ATS Commission on Accrediting’s list of standards includes general institutional, educational and degree program standards,” said Harbin. “The accreditation process involves gathering data to demonstrate the school’s financial stability, its policies and curriculum, governance, student body size and enrollment, student services, and requirements for each degree program.” “It really does ask us to evaluate the full program of Perkins,” said Allen.  “And it led us to examine, ‘Are we teaching students what we claim to be teaching?’”

Perkins’ re-accreditation process has led to the recommendation that the School conduct a comprehensive curricular review.

“We’re looking at the question of how we might best meet a new generation of students’ needs, given that more and more of our graduates are not serving in the church, but other kinds of ministries,” Allen said.  “How do we shape the program to meet their needs? Not just in terms of what courses but also the structure of the coursework.”

“The self-study for reaccreditation came at an opportune time, as it spurred us to revisit and rethink policies and curriculum in a very productive way,” said Dean Craig Hill.

The efforts are documented in a 130-page report, which will be submitted to ATS in November.

In February, members of the site committee will meet with Dean Craig Hill at the end of their visit to present their initial conclusions orally. A written report will then go the ATS board of commissioners, which will issue its accreditation decision by June 2020.

Even then, the process won’t be finished.

“It’s an ongoing process, and there will be follow-up,” Allen said. “The report is a living document. It serves as a reflection on our strategic plan and goals for our school.”

Perkins Welcomes Association of Theological Schools Comprehensive Evaluation Committee

Perkins School of Theology is hosting a comprehensive evaluation visit for reaffirmation of accreditation by the ATS Commission on Accrediting on February 10-13, 2020. The purpose of this visit is to verify that the school meets all applicable Commission Standards of Accreditation. Comments regarding how well the school meets those standards and/or generally demonstrates educational quality may be sent to the ATS Director of Commission Information Services (accrediting@ats.edu) at least two weeks before the visit. Comments may also or instead be sent in writing to Duane Harbin, Assistant Dean for Technology, Planning and Compliance (dharbin@smu.edu).  All comments will be shared with the onsite evaluation committee.

The visit of the comprehensive evaluation committee is the culmination of a two-year process of self-study and peer review that is required once each decade to maintain Perkins’ ATS accreditation.  Members of all Perkins constituencies, including current students, alumni/ae, faculty, staff, and members of the denominations and churches served by Perkins are invited to submit comments in writing as instructed above.  During the visit, there will also be opportunities for members of the constituencies to meet with the visitors. 

About the ATS’s Commission on Accrediting

The body recognized as the accrediting agency for The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (“ATS”) is the Commission on Accrediting (“Commission”) of ATS, which is related to but separate from ATS. The current Commission membership includes nearly 260 graduate theological schools in the United States and Canada who are Accredited Members or Candidates for Accredited Member status. The purpose of the Commission is “to contribute to the enhancement and improvement of theological education through accreditation . . . and to] collect data from all members . . . for use in accrediting.” The Commission is recognized by the United States Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

When the world’s largest gathering of scholars interested in the study of religion gathers November 23-26 in San Diego, members of the Perkins and SMU communities will be well-represented.  The 2019 Annual Meetings, hosted by the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature, will feature more than 1,000 academic sessions, workshops, meetings, receptions, tours and other events. Some 10,000 attendees are expected; the Annual Meetings offer unparalleled opportunities to engage with leading scholars and scholarship within the field of religion.

All Perkins and SMU alumni and friends in attendance are invited to a reception on Sunday, November 24, hosted by Southern Methodist University and Perkins School of Theology, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis-Marriott Grand 12 (Lobby Level).

Perkins and SMU faculty, staff and students will speak, preside or serve as panelists at more than two dozen events during the gathering. They include:

Saturday, November 23

A23-101 F W Graduate Student Committee
Theme: Critical Conversations: Religion and Polarized Publics
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 9:00 AM–11:30 AM
Convention Center-14B (Mezzanine Level)
Andrew Klumpp, Southern Methodist University, Presiding
Jill DeTemple, Southern Methodist University, Panelist

P23-107 Niebuhr Society
Theme: The Future of Christian Realism
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 9:00 AM–11:30 AM
Marriott Marquis-Leucadia (South Tower – First Level)
Dallas Gingles, Southern Methodist University, Presiding

P23-108 Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies
Theme: Buddhist-Christian Dual Practice and Belonging
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
Hilton Bayfront-Cobalt 501B (Fifth Level)
Ruben L. F. Habito, Southern Methodist University, Panelist

A23-223 Kierkegaard, Religion, and Culture Unit
Theme: Kierkegaard on Alterity: Fear, Difference, and Our Shared Humanity, Part I
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 1:00 PM–3:00 PM
Hilton Bayfront-Sapphire L (Fourth Level)
Natalia Marandiuc, Southern Methodist University, Presiding

M23-201 Society for Pentecostal Studies
Theme: Pneumatology in the Hebrew Scriptures Saturday
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 1:00 PM–3:30 PM
Marriott Marquis-Rancho Sante Fe 1 (North Tower – Lobby Level)
Jack Levison, Southern Methodist University
Exodus and Spirit: The Israelite Origin of Pneumatology

S23-215 SBL Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible Section / Gender, Sexuality, and the Bible Section
Theme: Review of Susanne Scholz, The Bible as Political Artifact: On the Feminist Study
of the Hebrew Bible (Fortress, 2017)
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 1:00 PM–3:30 PM
Convention Center – 25B (Upper Level East)
Susanne Scholz, Southern Methodist University

A23-306 Student Lounge Roundtable
Theme: Mastering Online Education: Effective and Engaging Teaching in a Digital Classroom
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 3:30 PM–5:00 PM
Convention Center – 14B (Mezzanine Level)
Andrew Klumpp, Southern Methodist University, Panelist

A23-331 A W Religion and Public Schools: International Perspectives Unit
Theme: Author-Meets-Critics Panel on the Third Disestablishment: Church, State, and American Culture, 1940–1975
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 3:30 PM–5:00 PM
Marriott Marquis-Rancho Sante Fe 2 (North Tower – Lobby Level)
Mark A. Chancey, Southern Methodist University, Panelist

A23-342 Wesleyan and Methodist Studies Unit
Theme: Wesleyans and Methodists and the Variety of Late Twentieth-Century Theological Methodologies
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 3:30 PM–5:00 PM
Hilton Bayfront-Indigo 202B (Second Level)
Priscilla Pope-Levison, Southern Methodist University, Presiding

A23-344 Women and Religion Unit
Theme: Alternative Production of Knowledge and Embodied Knowledge
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 3:30 PM–5:00 PM
Hilton Bayfront-Indigo 202A (Second Level)
Tamara Lewis, Southern Methodist University, Responding

A23-412 C Class, Religion, and Theology Unit
Theme: Labor of Race, Labor of Life
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Convention Center-28A (Upper Level East)
Benjamin Robinson, Southern Methodist University
White Dis-Possession: Making Estranged Subjects

A23-439 Space, Place, and Religion Unit
Theme: The Undoing of Place: Spatialization of the Aftermath
Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Hilton Bayfront-Aqua 311A (Third Level)
Andrew Klumpp, Southern Methodist University
The Burning of Holland: Faith, Fire, and International Efforts to Rebuild a Religious Community

Sunday, November 24

S24-124 SBL Gospel of Mark Section
Theme: Sociological Approaches Papers will consider sociological interpretations of the Gospel of Mark, especially the dynamic of honor and shame, regarding Jesus’ passion, his own silence, and his commands to silence.
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 9:00 AM–11:30 AM
Convention Center – 29A (Upper Level East)
April Hoelke Simpson, Southern Methodist University
Spiraling Shame and Honor Restored: A Socio-literary Analysis of Jesus’s Arrest, Trial, Death, and Resurrection in Mark

S24-126 SBL Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 9:00 AM–11:30 AM
Convention Center – 23A (Upper Level East)
Charles Aaron, Southern Methodist University, Presiding

S24-134a SBL LGBTI/Queer Hermeneutics Section
Theme: Trans* Readings
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 9:00 AM–11:30 AM
Convention Center – 1B (Upper Level West)
David A. Schones, Southern Methodist University
Texts of Terror? The Bible and Bathroom Bills in Texas

A24-214 W Contemporary Islam Unit and International Development and Religion Unit
Theme: Making (Counter) Publics through Islamic Development and Humanitarianism
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 1:00 PM–3:00 PM
Hilton Bayfront-Sapphire E (Fourth Level)
Jill DeTemple, Southern Methodist University, Presiding

A24-306 Student Lounge Roundtable
Theme: Teaching the ABCs While Earning Your PhD: How to Live Well While Navigating the Pressures of Parenting and Doctoral Work
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 3:30 PM–5:00 PM
Convention Center – 14B (Mezzanine Level)
Marie Purcell, Southern Methodist University, Panelist

S24-310 SBL Deuteronomistic History Section
Theme: Writing, Rewriting, and Overwriting in the Books of Deuteronomy and the Former Prophets: A Session in Honour of Cynthia Edenburg
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 4:00 PM–6:30 PM
Convention Center – 30D (Upper Level East)
Richard Nelson, Southern Methodist University
Disorienting Rhetoric in Joshua 8:30–35

S24-318 SBL Hebrew Bible, History, and Archaeology Section
Theme: Beyond Iconography: Reconsidering the Relationship between Text and Image in Ancient Israel
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 4:00 PM–6:30 PM
Convention Center – 31A (Upper Level East)
Stephanie M. Langin-Hooper, Southern Methodist University
The Deliberate Ambiguity of Figurines: An Object-Centered Methodology for Analyzing Figurines of Women with Infants

S24-336 SBL Recovering Female Interpreters of the Bible Section
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 4:00 PM–6:30 PM
Convention Center – 1A (Upper Level West)
Susanne Scholz, Southern Methodist University, Panelist

A24-402 K Publications Committee
Theme: How to Get Published (AAR/Oxford University Press)
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Hilton Bayfront-Indigo 202B (Second Level)
Natalia Marandiuc, Southern Methodist University, Panelist

A24-423 Pragmatism and Empiricism in American Religious Thought Unit and Womanist Approaches to Religion and Society Unit
Theme: Womanist Theology, Sociality, and Subversive Praxis
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – 5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Convention Center-24B (Uper Level East)
Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner, Southern Methodist University
Katie Geneva Cannon: Her Legacy to Pastoral and Practical Theologians

Monday, November 25

S25-110 SBL Bible and Practical Theology Section / Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section
Theme: Prophetic Preaching and Practical Theology
Monday, November 25 – 9:00 AM–11:30 AM
Marriott Marquis – Torrey Pines 2 (North Tower – Lobby Level)
Charles Aaron, Southern Methodist University
Isaiah 55 and a Practical Theology of Persuasion

S25-225 SBL Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section
Theme: Feminist Hermeneutics and Preaching
Monday, November 25 – 1:00 PM–3:30 PM
Hilton Bayfront – Aqua 313 (Third Level)
Susanne Scholz, Southern Methodist University, Panelist

S25-247 SBL Synoptic Gospels Section / New Testament Textual Criticism Section
Theme: Review of Matthew D.C. Larsen’s Gospels Before the Book (OUP, 2018)
Monday, November 25 – 1:00 PM–3:30 P
Convention Center – 2 (Upper Level West)
Abraham Smith, Perkins School of Theology, Panelist

S25-249a SBL Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures Section
Theme: Theological Perspectives on Sacred Spaces in the Hebrew Bible
Monday, November 25 – 1:00 PM–3:30 PM
Convention Center – 29A (Upper Level East)
Serge Frolov, Southern Methodist University, Panelist (25min)

A25-409 Christian Systematic Theology Unit
Theme: Thinking Through Nature and Grace
Monday, November 25 – 5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Hilton Bayfront-Sapphire M (Fourth Level)
Natalia Marandiuc, Southern Methodist University, Presiding

Tuesday, November 26

A26-116 C Wesleyan and Methodist Studies Unit
Theme: Wesleyan and Methodist Missions Beyond Britain and North America
Tuesday, November 26, 8:30 AM–10:00 AM
Convention Center-28A (Upper Level East)
Business Meeting: Ted A. Campbell, Southern Methodist University, Presiding

S26-137 SBL Women in the Biblical World Section / Feminist Hermeneutics of the Bible Section
Theme: Cultivating Womanist, Feminist, and Queer Relationships in this Neoliberal-Authoritarian Age
Tuesday, November 26 – 9:00 AM–11:30 AM
Convention Center – 32A (Upper Level East)
Susanne Scholz, Southern Methodist University, Presiding

Some students have a dramatic “call story” – a powerful turning point that explains the decision to study at Perkins. But Ed Gabrielsen’s journey to Perkins began when, as he puts it, “My life exploded.”

Five years before he enrolled, his home burned to the ground. The family’s dog was lost in the fire.  His marriage ended. Since he had shared a business with his wife, that also meant the end of his career.

“I was totally lost and felt that things couldn’t get any worse,” he said. “But somehow, I felt supported by a universal love that we would call God.”

Growing up, Gabrielsen’s family belonged to the Salvation Army and later a Southern Baptist church. At age 19, he became disillusioned, left the church, became a Buddhist and practiced Buddhism for 30 years.  When his family moved to Maine in 2000, he joined a Congregational church, the contemporary heir to the spiritual traditions of the Pilgrims and the Puritans.

Gabrielsen’s return to church involved no lightning bolt moments.

“I just missed church,” he said. “I missed the music, the sense of being together. The church accepted me without any questions about my beliefs. Later I learned that that’s the Congregational way. It works for me.”

About three years after the divorce, Gabrielsen was hired as music director by a church in western Maine.

“I felt so comfortable in the church,” he said. “I thought, maybe this is a direction I could go. I could do this.”

In considering Perkins’s degree program, Gabrielsen was encouraged by the presence of Ruben Habito, a Zen teacher, on the Perkins faculty. Perkins has no requirement to sign a statement of faith, which he appreciated.  Also, he watched talks on the Perkins website by Roy Heller (on Genesis 22) and former Dean William Lawrence (on open-mindedness) that convinced him that Perkins was the right next stop on his already-varied spiritual path. He applied to Perkins in July 2016, and thanks to the seminary’s open enrollment policy, was able to start that fall. He packed up his belonging in a U-Haul, left Maine and headed to Dallas.

At Perkins, Gabrielsen explored his interests in contemplative spirituality, interfaith dialogue and pastoral counseling.  He joined the Seminary Singers. His long list of favorite classes includes courses in Old and New Testament, church history, ethics and cultural context, to name only a few.

“Really, I enjoyed almost everything,” he said.

Today, Gabrielsen is pursuing ordination in the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) and interning at Rockland Congregational Church in the harbor town of Rockland, Maine. He expects to graduate when he completes his internship in May.

“Technically, the NACCC is not a denomination, it’s an association of independent churches,” he said. “It’s that independent New England spirit.  We like to think about the autonomy of the local church and the freedom of thought, and this goes back to the earliest history of the tradition.”

Buddhism still informs Gabrielsen’s spiritual practice; he regularly spends time in sitting meditation. Last year, he participated in a 7-day session (intensive meditation) at Maria Kannon Zen Center, where Habito, his faculty advisor and mentor, is Founding Teacher.

Gabrielsen cites this verse from the Dhammapada as a guiding principle: “For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love; this is an old rule.”

Looking back, he views his somewhat meandering spiritual path and journey to Perkins as a pointer to the future.

“I would never have imagined that I would be here doing what I’m doing,” he said. “But I think I can help people figure out where they are in their spiritual life.  I can help them with theological questions, questions about how they grew up and what they believe now.”