Alumni News
Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr. (STH ’83) Nominated to Receive African American Cultural Center Award
Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr. Pastor Of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was nominated to receive the African American Cultural Center Legacy Award on Saturday, December 23, 2019 at The Annual Jazz Brunch on the Louisiana State University’s Campus. The Legacy Award is given Annually to the faculty member who is committed to the African American community at Louisiana State University. Dr. Kelly is an adjunct Instructor in The African and African American Studies Program And The College Of Education in Human Sciences Division. He teaches African American Religion, The Black Rhetorical Traditions In The Civil Rights Movement And Introduction to College Studies. Recently, Dr. Kelly received a travel grant to present his research at The National African American Studies Conference at affiliates in Dallas, Texas
Last year Dr. Kelly was awarded the Kuumba Award For Church And Community engagement.
Rev. Jim Hipkins (STH ’54) died on February 15
Rev. Jim Hipkins (STH '54) died peacefully Friday evening, February 15, 2019. Our prayers are with Gail, and with his family and friends. A Celebration of Jim’s life is scheduled for March 18, 2019, at 3PM in the Brooks-Howell Home Memorial Chapel in Asheville, North Carolina.
Dr. Robert P. Lisensky (STH ’54, GRS ’60)
Dr. Robert P. Lisensky (STH '54, GRS '60) died on January 12, 2019 in Boulder, Colorado. For the full Obituary, click here.
Death of Horace Allen
Wednesday, February 6 - A message from Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore:
Horace Allen, one of our distinguished colleagues, died last night after a life of creativity and ecumenical liturgical leadership. As many of you know, he served on the Boston University faculty from 1978 to 2003 when he retired as Professor Emeritus. He was the first Professor of Worship here, and he taught in areas as broad as liturgy, music, architecture, and preaching. Our alums have told me a multitude of appreciative comments and funny, touching stories about Horace. Some say that they are conscious every week of things they learned from Horace; others credit him with their love of liturgy.
In 2012, Horace was honored by the Massachusetts Council of Churches with these words:
On Saturday, we honored Rev. Dr. Horace Allen, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) pastor and liturgist; Professor Emeritus at Boston University School of Theology; the first Ministerial Warden at The Iona Community; integral in the creation of the Revised Common Lectionary and youth steward at the 1954 World Council of Churches assembly in Evanston, IL (after the assembly, he swiped the sign of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople - see photo!) Here's a brief summary of Horace and why we celebrate his many years of ecumenical ministry! [Quoted from: https://www.facebook.com/Masscouncilofchurches/posts/on-saturday-we-honored-rev-dr-horace-allen-a-presbyterian-church-usa-pastor-and-/164613103665918/.] See also the description of that event and more about Horace’s life and contributions at: https://reveverett.com/2012/05/02/horace-allen/.
Rest in peace, Horace!
Mary Elizabeth
Update: Tuesday, February 12
A memorial service will be held for The Rev. Dr. Horace T. Allen on Sunday, March 3 at 2pm at Marsh Chapel at Boston University, 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA. His obituary can be found here.
Spring 2019 STH Lowell Lecture Featuring Mark Jordan
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Lowell Institute and is co-sponsored with Sacred Worth.
Mark Jordan presents "Queer Callings: Labels, Identities, Vocations"
Mark D. Jordan is R. R. Niebuhr Professor at Harvard Divinity School. He teaches courses on the Western traditions of Christian theology, the relations of religion to literature, and the prospects for sexual ethics. For the last three decades, he has written extensively on sexuality in the past and present of Christianity, but he has also continued to explore other topics at the boundaries of philosophy and Christian theology. His most recent books are Convulsing Bodies: Religion and Resistance in Foucault (Stanford 2015) and Teaching Bodies: Moral Formation in the Summa of Thomas Aquinas (Fordham 2016). He has finished a manuscript on teaching as part of series on the future of theological education. The title of the lecture is also the working title of a book in progress—which he swears will be his last.
Wednesday, March 27
5pm-6:30pm
STH Community Center, 745 Commonwealth Avenue, lower level
This event is free and open to the public.
You can watch via Livestream.
Bryan P. Stone will moderate.
Professor David Schnasa Jacobsen
Professor David Schnasa Jacobsen has published the following articles:
"Sermon Feedback as Facework: Task and identity Goals in Mentoring Homiletical Theologians" in The Journal of Academy of Homiletics, Vol 43, No 2, 2018; "Going Public with the Means of Grace: A Homiletical Theology of Promise for Word and Sacrament in a Post-secular age" in Theology Today, vol. 75, No. 3; "Pieced Together in the Wilderness-Pentecost 26" in Consensus, vol. 39, Issue 2; "The Practice of Homiletical Theology in a Confessional Mode: An Interim Report on the Homiletical Theology Project" in The International Journal of Homiletics, vol. 3; “Two Cheers for Proclamation: Toward a More Promising, Conversational Homiletic,” Festschrift Encounter, vol 78, no. 2.
He also published several blog posts "Luke 4:21-30 Commentary", "Luke 4:14-21 Commentary", "Mark 1:1-8 Commentary" at WorkingPreacher.org.
Professor Jacobsen is contributing editor for Toward a Homiletical Theology of Promise (2018).
Dr. Newell S. Booth, Jr. (STH ’50, CAS ’47, GRS ’56)
Dr. Newell Snow Booth, Jr., 91, died on Sunday, December 2 at West Chester Hospital, his wife and one daughter at his side. He earned his Master of Divinity and PhD in Religion at Boston University before joining the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. Later in life he joined the academy and taught religion for many years. Read his full obituary here.
STH Community Day 2019
You are invited to STH Community Day 2019! To celebrate the School of Theology’s tradition of Community Day every week on Wednesday, with worship, lunch, and fellowship, we have designated a special day in 2019 to honor your legacy and impact as an alum on the community STH is today.
On Wednesday, September 18, 2019 we will recognize our entire community of alumni, students, staff, and faculty during the annual Matriculation Day service. Matriculation Day is the academic and liturgical celebration of the entering class of theological students through the doctoral level. More than 90 new students will be welcomed during this event. As a way to demonstrate the legacy to which they will become heir, we are honoring the 2019 School of Theology Distinguished Alumni, the Classes of 1969, 1959, and 1954 as well as all STH alumni. Even if this year is not a “reunion” year for you, consider returning to Boston in the fall (the best time to visit!). There will be a place for you.
Many of our graduates have friends who did not graduate their same year, therefore, we are expanding what has traditionally been a day for class reunions. We hope you will consider chatting with your friends, no matter what year you all graduated, and coordinate your return to STH. We will continue to celebrate the 50th reunion class (1969) but also encourage you to create your own reunion. If you need assistance getting in touch with your friends and classmates, please let us know. Or, if you just want to return solo, we will have plenty of opportunities for you to meet other alums and learn about theological education at STH today.
We recommend you make your hotel reservations early. You can find suggestions on the BU Alumni page under “Boston-Area Hotels” and suggestions from the School of Theology Admissions Office under “Accommodations.”
If you have questions, please contact Andrew Kimble or (617) 353-8972.
Wednesday, September 18th
9am-10:45am: STH Alumni Breakfast with Students and Administrators
Room 325, STH Building, 745 Commonwealth Avenue
11am-12pm: Service of Matriculation
Service of Matriculation in Marsh Chapel, 735 Commonwealth Avenue
Acknowledgment of all STH Alumni with special recognition of those who graduated in 1969 or prior.
12pm-3pm: Luncheon for STH Alumni with Dean Moore and Faculty
Barrister’s Hall, LAW School, 765 Commonwealth Avenue (directly behind STH Building)
Featuring a presentation from Shively T. J. Smith, Assistant Professor of New Testament.
3pm-5pm: Self-Guided Tours of STH
Begin in the STH Community Center, basement, 745 Commonwealth Avenue
3pm-5pm: Class of 1954 Time of Sharing (for the Class of 1954 and guests)
Room 325, STH Building, 745 Commonwealth Avenue
5pm-6:30pm: STH Distinguished Alumni Panel: The Three Greatest Challenges Facing Us in the Next Decade
Location: Trustee Lounge, 1 Silber Way, 9th floor
Free and open to the public.
6:30pm – 9pm: STH Distinguished Alumni Celebration Dinner
Location: Trustee Ballroom, 1 Silber Way, 9th floor
All STH alumni are invited to honor the 2019 STH Distinguished Alumni and connect with classmates.
How Howard Thurman Met Gandhi and Brought Nonviolence to the Civil Rights Movement
Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Ethical Leadership Water E. Fluker penned an article featured today in The Conversation, "How Howard Thurman Met Gandhi and Brought Nonviolence to the Civil Rights Movement." The full article is available here, and below are the introductory paragraphs of the article.
January 31, 2019 - Director Martin Doblmeier’s new documentary, “Backs Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story,” is scheduled for release on public television in February. Thurman played an important role in the civil rights struggle as a key mentor to many leaders of the movement, including Martin Luther King Jr., among others.
I have been a scholar of Howard Thurman and Martin Luther King Jr. for over 30 years and I serve as the editor of Thurman’s papers. Thurman’s influence on King Jr. was critical in shaping the civil rights struggle as a nonviolent movement. Thurman was deeply influenced by how Gandhi used nonviolence in India’s struggle for independence from British rule.
See the full article here.
Tom Porter Retirement Celebration
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NTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE AND JUSTPEACEMAKING: TOM PORTER IN CONVERSATION WITH DAVID JAFFE, BOB STAINS, AND JOAN MURRAY
Thursday, May 2, 2019
BU Hillel, 213 Bay State Road, Boston, MA
5pm with reception following
Join us for a celebration of Tom’s contributions in Conflict Transformation at Boston University School of Theology (2004-2019). This event is free and open to the public.
Rabbi David Jaffe is the Principal and Founder of Kirva Consulting, which makes Jewish spiritual wisdom accessible to leaders, change-makers and seekers to build healthy, sustainable communities, organizations and relationships. David’s current focus is the Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project, which helps social change leaders integrate applied Jewish ethics and applied Jewish mysticism to the work of social justice. He is the author of Changing the World from the Inside Out: A Jewish Approach to Personal and Social Change, winner of the National Jewish Book Award.
Bob Stains maintains a private conflict transformation practice in Danvers, MA, serving organizations in the US and around the globe. He is a Senior Associate at Essential Partners, and for 23 years has created constructive conversations on sexual orientation, religion, race, abortion, social class, gender, firearms and other divisive issues within and between local, national and international organizations. Bob is a co-founder of The Family Dinner Project, and was a consultant to the Interpersonal Skills Component of the Harvard Negotiation Project at Harvard Law School for 16 years.
Since 2002 Joan has been a pastor, chaplain, and spiritual companion with people outside and those marginally housed. Her first call to ordained ministry was to Ecclesia Ministries, where she served as Minister of common cathedral, the outdoor church, combining un-housed and housed people in worship every Sunday, year round on Boston Common. In addition to weekly worship leadership and preaching, she was responsible for all aspects of this Boston ministry including fund-raising, administration, programs, pastoral care and the recruitment and supervision of field education students and volunteers.
Joan left common cathedral in August 2007 and founded Chaplains on the Way, an on-going community chaplaincy in Waltham, the following year. Chaplains on the Way provides a ministry of presence and spiritual care with poor and homeless people on the street and at programs such as the Waltham Community Day Center, the Bristol Lodge Soup Kitchen and the Bristol Lodge Shelters. Their ministries also include a weekly meditation group and a monthly labyrinth walk.
Retired since 2014, Joan continues to provide spiritual and pastoral care to individuals experiencing homelessness, as a volunteer at The Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Paul with their MANNA programs and as a volunteer with the Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP). ISP provides free weekend retreats for homeless and formerly homeless men and women in recovery.
Joan received her M.Div. degree at Episcopal Divinity School in 2000 and has completed 4 units of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center and Westborough State Hospital, as well as a Practicum in Spiritual Direction at the Center for Religious Development (CRD). She was ordained in 2002 by the United Church of Christ (UCC) at Wellesley Congregational Church, where she has been a member now for over 40 years. In 2018 she completed the two-year Living School program offered by the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM.
Read the article about Tom’s retirement. Register to attend below.
Donate to the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at www.bu.edu/rctfund.
ConEd - CT800 Course Request Form
For any student seeking to take CT 800 they must complete this form to tell the ConEd Office why their proposal is necessary for their curriculum.