Ashley Anderson

Ashley is a first year Master of Divinity/Master of Social Work dual degree student from Evergreen, Colorado. She graduated from Seattle University in 2008 with a B.A. in Theology & Religious Studies. In Seattle, she worked in campus ministry and in several social justice action groups. Upon graduating, she served as a Jesuit Volunteer, living in intentional community and teaching sixth grade in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. She was shaped profoundly by her experiences as a teacher and as a volunteer in a unique cultural-geographical setting. She is interested in trauma studies, liberation theology, faith formation, and inter-religious dialogue and action. Her travels to Mexico, Australia, Belize, Canada, and the Marshall Islands inform her perspectives on a “faith that does justice.” She hopes to work to create safe spaces for those who have experienced trauma and create forums for people to claim and share their stories.  Ashley likes to listen to music, practice yoga, paint, and play outside.

She writes, “I applied to the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program because I believe in a faith that is alive and moving in the world. The world, as I have experienced it, is a blessed, beautiful, and broken home for us. I believe that our religions, philosophies, and spiritualities create the lens through which we live and act in the world. Religion has been used as a weapon. I believe that the power of religion, when expressed in the fullness of its truth, can be harnessed and used for the healing of the world. I believe that this reconciling work is carried out in every relationship, between individuals, communities, and nations. Through study at BU, the BTI, and the Religion and Conflict Transformation program, I hope to add my gifts to the mosaic work of justice-seeking peacemaking.”