Alumni News
Church and Society Board Recommends Major Revision of United Methodist Social Principles
Please note this is a press release from Church & Society of The United Methodist Church. The original release can be found here. Dean Moore is quoted.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Church and Society board recommends major revision of United Methodist Social Principles
Seeks to make Social Principles more succinct, theological rooted, globally relevant
April 26, 2019
Contact: Warren Gill (202) 770-1332
wgill@umcjustice.org
WASHINGTON — The board of directors of the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church recommended Friday a new version of the Social Principles to the 2020 General Conference.
This vote was the culmination of seven years of work.
General Secretary Susan Henry-Crowe said, “I am incredibly pleased that the culmination of two quadrennia of work is finally accomplished. We, as Christians, believe that Christ calls us to live out our faith in the world by seeking justice and pursuing peace. The Social Principles have long been a part of how we as United Methodists express that deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ.”
The 2012 General Conference requested Church and Society research how the Social Principles are used throughout the denomination. Drawing from that research, the 2016 General Conference called on Church and Society to rewrite the Social Principles.
Three of the main goals of the revision were to craft a version of the Social Principles that is more deeply theologically rooted, more succinct and more globally relevant.
To that end, nearly 100 people have served on the Social Principles Task Force, six writing teams and an editorial team. Each of these people brought unique and diverse perspectives. Members of the writing teams were selected to ensure geographic, theological, political, and life experience diversity.
The Rev. Dr. Mary Elizabeth Moore, dean of the Boston University School of Theology and the chair of the editorial team, said, “This is the most comprehensive effort to listen to the church across the globe and to wrestle with challenging, prophetic issues that I have ever witnessed. All of the teams engaged in an impressive amount of holy conferencing. Each of us shared experiences in our lives and contexts to explain our diverse views. We listened deeply, and we laughed and cried with one another. We struggled to discern how God is calling us to be in the world today, to witness and work toward compassion, justice and peace. God was present, and it is was a truly holy experience.”
In addition to the nearly 100 people who helped to write and edit the new draft, listening sessions were held in annual conferences, theological schools and regional gatherings throughout The United Methodist Church. More than 1,500 people participated in these public conversations. Church and society also conducted an open online survey to collect responses to an earlier draft. More than 3,000 people responded to that survey.
Dr. Randal Miller, vice president of Church and Society’s board, chaired the task force. He said, “With 12 million members around the world, it would be impossible to write a document with which every single member of the denomination agreed. One of the great joys of this process, however, was working through our differences and finding common ground. We waded through the comments and the responses and tried our best to find language that truly reflected the diversity of belief and experience within The United Methodist Church.”
The task force’s role was to oversee the writing and editorial process and to make final edits before presenting the draft to Church and Society’s board.
The revised Social Principles now contain four main sections:
— The Community of All Creation
— The Economic Community
— The Social Community
— The Political Community
Church and Society will release the proposed Social Principles in the coming weeks after it has been translated into multiple languages. The proposal then goes to the 2020 General Conference for consideration.
Church and Society is the social justice public policy agency of The United Methodist Church. Its main office is located across from the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Rooted in our faith, we seek to implement the statements of the denomination as contained within the Social Principles and Book of Resolutions.
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Terror and Aftermath: A Meditation from Dean Moore on the Sri Lanka Easter Terror Attacks
April 27, 2019 – Terror and Aftermath: A Meditation
In the horrible aftermath of bombings in three Christian churches in Sri Lanka on Easter Day, and the bombings of four nearby hotels, we continue to mourn the lost lives of more than 250 people. Compounding the shock, the bombings took place on the Holy Day of Resurrection, the day of greatest hope in the Christian year. As Sri Lanka continues to mourn with mass funerals, we mourn with them, and we also mourn for the three recently burned African-American churches in Louisiana, and now today the shooting in a synagogue in Poway, California, that took one life and injured at least three others on the last day of Passover.
Less than a week has passed since the bombings in Sri Lanka, and the aftermath magnifies the tragedy – traumatic experiences of family and friends who lost loved ones, the revelation of suspects in the bombings, fear in Christian communities that they will never feel safe, and fear in Muslim communities that people will seek retaliation. Yet people representing many faiths across the world have expressed heartfelt concern.
Can Easter possibly speak into this tragedy? The grief grows over time, and the terror during Easter worship was a strike at the heart of Christian faith. Yet Easter will not die. In the rising of Jesus, we witness redemption and the promise of new life in the aftermath of crucifixion and the imperial abuse of power that it represented. We witness Jesus’ faithfulness even on the cross, and His rising with the promise of Life for the world. The world into which Jesus rose was still damaged by violence, oppression, injustice, and hurt, and yet his resurrection, however understood, decried the power of those destructive forces over life.
The world into which Jesus rose was and is filled with destruction. Yet we remember the lives that changed radically as people encountered the risen Christ. We remember the transformations that early Christians birthed into the world and the transformations that Christians have continued to birth for centuries, even as they (we) have fallen severely short and have contributed to destruction ourselves. Violence permeates the world we live in today, yet love continues to transform people. The promise has not died.
In the aftermath of terrorism and tragedy, Easter faith is sober but it is very much alive. It is the promise of life in the midst of death. The Easter message is stronger than ever.
- Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore
School of Theology Welcomes New Assistant Professor of New Testament
Boston, MA – April 23, 2019 – Boston University School of Theology is pleased to announce the appointment of new full-time faculty member Luis Menéndez-Antuña, who will begin on July 1, 2019, for the 2019-2020 academic year. Professor Menéndez-Antuña will join the faculty as Assistant Professor of New Testament.
Dr. Luis Menéndez-Antuña is a New Testament scholar specializing in hermeneutics, queer theory, postcolonial criticism, cultural studies, and biblical languages, especially as they illuminate biblical texts and contemporary cultural realities. He is a prolific writer and researcher, as he has contributed many articles and book chapters into the public discourse. His book, Thinking Sex with the Great Whore: Deviant Sexualities and Empire in the Book of Revelation, reveals his deep engagement with the Book of Revelation, drawing upon cultural and existential questions of the present, careful reading of the texts themselves, and cultural-critical theories and tools to open new interpretations. Professor Menéndez-Antuña loves teaching and has taught a range of courses in New Testament, including courses that engage biblical texts with cultural questions, gender and sexuality studies, and ministry.
About this new appointment, Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore said: "[Professor Menéndez-Antuña] has expressed to me that he is overjoyed about joining our faculty, having been very impressed and grateful for all of you during the search and his visit here."
Professor Nancy Ammerman Selected for Greeley Lifetime Achievement Award
April 22, 2019 – Professor Nancy Ammerman has been selected for the Andrew M. Greeley Lifetime Achievement Award in the Sociology of Religion. As part of the award ceremony at the University of Notre Dame, she will give a plenary talk before being celebrated with a ceremony at a dinner on Friday, April 26.
Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore commented that Professor Ammerman is very deserving of this "very high honor."
For more information about the event and the award ceremony, please visit the University of Notre Dame Center for the Study of Religion and Society website here.
STH Alums and Faculty Attend Unity Day at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Philadelphia
March 24-25, 2019 - The Mount Zion Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA, hosted School of Theology faculty, alums, and community members for an event titled "Living and Building the Howard Thurman Legacy." Senior Pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church, Rev. Cedric Jones (STH'92) presided over the two-day event, which built on the legacy of Howard Thurman, Boston University's former Marsh Chapel Dean (1953-1965). The events were scheduled in congruence with Mt. Zion's 20th Annual Unity Day.
The events on Sunday included a study session, church services, lunch and community walking tour. The 9am study session was led by Sharon Watson Fluker, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The 10:30am worship service featured guest preacher STH Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Ethical Leadership Walter E. Fluker (GRS'88, STH'88) with upwards of 200 people in attendance.
On Monday, about 80 congregants and church and community leaders in Philadelphia attended brunch and the screening and discussion of the PBS documentary, “Backs Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story” by filmmaker Martin Doblmeier (COM’80). Preeminent Thurman expert Rev. Dr. Walter Fluker is a featured interviewee in the documentary and he attended both the showing and discussion, which included a mention of the Howard Thurman Fellowships at the Boston University School of Theology.
"Cedric Jones and his congregation led a beautiful Unity Day with Walter and Sharon Fluker, enacting a collaborative ministry between Mount Zion Baptist Church and the BU School of Theology," says Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore. "Cedric Jones had galvanized a gathering that one person named as 'game-changing.'"
Dr. Robert and STH Alums Gather at the Methodist Mission Bicentennial
Dr. Dana Robert and Several Boston University School of Theology Alumni gathered at the Methodist Mission Bicentennial Conference in Atlanta, Georgia last week.
Pictured from Left to Right: David Scott ('07), Michele Sigg ('18), Dr. Dana Robert, Rich Darr ('05), Doug Tzan ('13), Lisa Beth White ('08), Ben Hartley ('00 & '05), Jack Amick ('06), & Mikio Miyagi ('10)
Pictured above: Dr. Dana Robert and Casely Essamuah (STH '03)
Dr. Susan Scully Troy (STH ’13) Passed
Dr. Claire Wolfteich writes, "Susan graduated from STH in 2013 with the Doctor of Ministry degree and previously completed her Master of Divinity degree at Weston Jesuit School of Theology. Susan brought a deep commitment to her faith, a joyful spirit, and a love of people to all she did. A founding member of the group Voice of the Faithful, Susan dedicated her work to enhancing lay leadership in spiritual formation and renewal at the parish level. Drawing upon extensive research and her long experience in supporting lay Catholic ministry and church reform, her thesis was entitled 'Contemporary Catholic Spirituality: The Case for Parish-Based Lay Spiritual Ministries.' She also developed a ministry in spiritual direction over two decades. Susan truly will be missed. I served as her DMin advisor and was blessed by her lively spirit, the energy and authenticity brought to class, her great openness to people of all religious experience, and the commitment of this fellow lay Catholic woman making her way and her mark in the Church."
Read Dr. Susan's full obituary from the Boston Globe here.
Dean Moore Honored at Morehouse College
April 4, 2019 - Last week Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College, part of the 34th Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity. Founded in 1985 by Founding Dean of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter Sr. (STH'68, '70, '79), and Dr. Hugh Gloster, this program honors individuals who life and work exemplify the ethical ideals promoted by the College's most prominent alumnus, Martin Luther King, Jr. For 33 years, this program has attracted some of the brightest minds across an array of disciplines to engage in cosmopolitan dialogue, learning, growing and revealing.
Dean Moore was one among a class of 17 individuals inducted into the Collegium of Scholars, which is comprised of academics and scholars who are committed to research, writing, mentoring, and teaching in a "wide variety of disciplines and context that promote and give support to the work of peace through moral social responsibility."
Individuals are selected for this unique honor by showing commitment and selfless service to humanity in tribute to Rev. Dr. King. Once inducted, members are charged to integrate these principles with their own life and work as well as serve as exemplars for their professional peers.
Dean Carter offered the following during his welcome to attendees of the event: "The day's events center in accentuating the moral cosmopolitan commitment, a concept requiring much reflection, dialogue and dedication, especially in today's global climate of change and increasing tensions." During the induction ceremony, Dean Carter made many connections to Boston University and the School of Theology’s influence on Rev. Dr. King, and he made a point of sharing these explicit connections of BU, STH, and Dr. King’s formation and motivation.
Congratulations to our own Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore and her fellow inductees on this special occasion.
Recent Publications by Wariboko and Robert
Professor Nimi Wariboko recently published Ethics and Society in Nigeria. In this book, Prof. Wariboko studies forms of religious, political, and revolutionary identities and then assesses their usefulness for the transformation of Nigeria's identity.
"From 'Give Us Friends' to 'Other Sheep I Have': Transnational Friendship and Edinburgh 1910" was recently published by Professor Dana Robert. In the paper, she examines the World Missionary Conference at Edinburgh in 1910, considered the "symbolic beginning of the modern ecumenical movement."
Prof. Christopher Evans on Chronicle tonight
April 11, 2019 – Professor Christopher Evans was recently interviewed by WCVB-5 in Boston for inclusion on their nightly show, Chronicle. Tonight's story, "Preserving the Past Through Churches", features Prof. Evans and his expertise on church history.
Click here to see the full story, which will air for the first time at 7:30pm EDT tonight: https://www.wcvb.com/article/preserving-the-past-through-churches/27118803