Pope-Levison Receives Wesleyan Theological Society Award
Perkins faculty member Priscilla Pope-Levison was selected as the recipient of the Wesleyan Theological Society’s annual Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Pope-Levison is research professor of practical theology at Perkins School of Theology at SMU and the third woman to earn this honor. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals for outstanding service to the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition over a lifetime. Since its inception in 1994, the award has been given to distinguished scholars and theologians including Randy Maddox, Billy Abraham, William Greathouse, James Earl Massey and Donald Dayton. Read the story here.
Lovin receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Robin W. Lovin, who served as dean of Perkins School of Theology from 1994 to 2002, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Christian Ethics on Jan. 10. The award was presented at the society’s annual meeting in Chicago by Steve Long, a past president of SCE and Cary M. Maguire University Professor of Ethics at SMU. The award recognizes “outstanding, sustained and substantive contributions in advancing the field of Christian ethics,” with consideration given to the recipient’s publications, influence on students and impact on the discipline of theological ethics. Currently, Dr. Lovin is Cary M. Maguire University Professor of Ethics emeritus at SMU and visiting scholar in theology at Loyola University in Chicago. He is the 14th person to receive this award since its inauguration and the second from SMU, joining SMU professor emeritus Charlie Curran, who received the award in 2017. Read the story here.
Hunt Essay Explores AI’s Impact
An essay by Robert Hunt, “As AI becomes more human-like, what will happen to humanity?” was published online by The Hill on Feb. 16. “Because we are social creatures, we change when someone new comes into our group,” he wrote. “A newborn infant changes its mother and father into parents. A child who becomes a brother or sister is now a sibling. And think about what happens when there is a new student at school or a new employee or boss at work. Up to now, the newcomers have been other humans. But as AI agents become agentic, they will increasingly shape our self-understanding.”
Read the essay here.
Clark-Soles Delivers Annual Lecture
Perkins faculty member Jaime Clark-Soles delivered Mercer University’s 33rd annual Harry Vaughan Smith Distinguished Visiting Professor of Religion Lectures on Feb. 11-12 in Newton Chapel on the Macon campus. Clark-Soles is professor of New Testament, Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor and director of the Baptist House of Studies at Perkins.
UMNews Publishes Rebekah Miles Commentary
“Coming out with the new Book of Discipline,” a commentary by the Rev. Dr. Rebekah Miles, was published Jan. 6 in UM News. Miles wrote that she joined with many United Methodists in celebrating the removal of the denomination’s 52-year-old stance against same-sex relationships. With her children’s encouragement, Miles also is using the occasion of the new Book of Discipline to discuss her own journey of self-discovery. She writes that she wants to use her privilege to benefit others — noting that the church still has more work to do to ensure LGBTQ+ people are truly safe and welcome.
Read the commentary here.