The Wabash Center's Dialogue On Teaching

Donald Quist is Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Missouri. Improved writing means improved teaching - and vice versa. The Wabash Center's initiative on creative writing supports imagination, creativity, and scholarship. Hear from the Wabash Center's expert in creative writing on ways to expand scholarly writing, rekindle the passion of teaching, and nurture your own habits and practices toward new kinds of publications.

Rev. Dr. Steed Davidson, Executive Director of the Society for Biblical literature. What kind of professional development, formation, and imagination is needed for career longevity as a scholar of religion and theology? What kinds of adaptations, new perspectives, and new conversation partners are needed for a life of scholarship? What new and needed academic and academic adjacent careers will be accessible? What is a career trajectory plan when there is so much change and opportunity?

Dr. Eric D. Barreto is the Frederick and Margaret L. Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. In this Silhouette Interview he discusses the childhood desire for a life with words, the influence of high school teachers, the faith required of the teaching life, the power of community in the work, and the miracle of playing a part in bringing about God's justice.

Through arts based research methodology, the documentary Seeing the Future of the African American Church in the Rainbow: A Year in the Life of Real Inspirations Ministry was created. The documentary is complemented by a photo exhibit. R. Watkins is the photographer and videographer. Both pieces of artwork were created in pursuit of asking about Black religious expression and the place of LGBTQ persons in the life of the Christian church. The conversation discusses the ways story and storytelling can enliven our research, teaching, and approaches to meaning making with and for our students. Ralph Basui Watkins is the Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Columbia Theological Seminary.

The Rev. Dr. Daisy Machado is Emerita Faculty in Church History at Union Theological Seminary in New York and the Director of the Hispanic Summer Program. In this Silhouette Interview, she discusses her childhood dream of being a translator at the United Nations, rebellion out of Pentecostalism and into the Disciples of Christ, life-changing work at the southern border, the happiness that the teaching life generates, and the superpower of perseverance.

Gregory Cuéllar, PhD is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Austen Presbyterian Theological Seminary. In this Silhouette Interview, Cuellar discusses the childhood dream of flying helicopters in the military, being a part of a long line of teachers, the importance of nurturing curiosity, the superpower of discernment, surviving violence by being savvy and ready with quick wit, and the miracle of staying the course.

Marcia Y. Riggs, PhD is the J. Erskine Love Professor of Christian Ethics and Ombudsperson at Columbia Theological Seminary. In this Silhouette Podcast Interview, Riggs discusses wanting to be an artist who made statements with her art, the inspiration of Bell Hooks' "Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope," reinventing oneself in the classroom, the value of a position to help manage conflict, the superpower of seeing pattern and connection, and the importance of confronting violence rather than ignoring it as well as believing in the inherent goodness of people.

Dwight M. Hopkins, PhD is the Alexander Campbell Professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School. In this interview, Hopkins discusses his desire to be a writer as early as kindergarten, the freedom of the teaching life, the superpower of cross-cultural engagement, and the miracle of helping students realize that they much more than they think they are.

Steed Davidson, Ph.D is Dean of the Faculty and Vice President of Academic Affairs and is Professor of Hebrew Bible / Old Testament at McCormick Theological Seminary. In this Silhouette Interview, Davidson discusses his childhood desire to be a meteorologist and the pride of his family in his profession. Also: surprise at the difficulty of the teaching life with its constant attention, the superpower of mediation and the "Sense of We," surviving violences by writing and community, and the miracle of igniting students' curiosity.

Lisa L. Thompson, Ph.D is Associate Professor and the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Black Homiletics and Liturgics, Homiletics and Liturgics at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Thompson discusses the childhood dream of being an OBGYN, rejecting the false dichotomy between scholarship and teaching, and the ways in which faculty can be punished for being good teachers. Also: the superpowers of intuition and the facilitation of creativity, community as the key to surviving violence, the miracle of helping people own their voices, and cultivating institutions that facilitate creativity.

Peter T. Cha, PhD is Professor of Church, Culture and Society at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Cha discusses his childhood desire to be an architect and how that love of design informs his teaching and class creation. He also talks about the demands of institutional citizenship, the superpower of distillation, and the joy of the 'aha' moments.

Rolf Jacobson is Professor of Old Testament and the Alvin N. Rogness Chair of Scripture, Theology, and Ministry at Luther Seminary. In this Silhouette Interview, Jacobson discusses early thoughts of a career in finance, bafflement at the pace of technological and societal change, being a musician, dogged persistence of his students and colleagues in a world filled with violence, as well as the superpower of sarcasm--one of the gifts of the spirit Paul didn't get a chance to enumerate!

Dr. Tina Pippin is the Wallace M. Alston Professor of Bible and Religion at Agnes Scott College. In this Silhouette Interview, Dr. Pippin talks about how she always wanted to be a teacher and was particularly inspired by teachers who pushed boundaries. She discusses being driven to connect the Word with the world, and in her fight for just wages, her superpower is the ability to show up and stand fast in the places where power doesn't want you.

Rev. Dr. Stephen G. Ray is the Crump Visiting Professor and Black Religious Scholars Group Scholar-in-Residence at the Seminary of the Southwest. Dr. Ray discusses longing, as a child, to do anything in the future that allowed him to read books, being an only child with the encyclopedia for a friend, and rebounding from an initial undergrad attempt where he had a .75 GPA. Ray also touches on miseducation and the loss of historical knowledge in students, his ability to educate, challenge, and inspire with media and narrative, and the importance of being about your projects--not your institutional job.

What scholarly skills are transferrable to other enterprises? What does it mean to consider an executive position like a deanship or presidency? How do I manage speaking engagements, book deals, and other kinds of opportunities? When should a LLC be established?

The Rev. Dr. Gay L. Byron is Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC.

Scholarly careers are not linear or tidy. Hear about helpful tools for career management like: creating a map/plan for tenure process and promotion (6 year plan), having more than one mentor, knowing when to leave the first job and when to stay, finding conversation partners for career decisions.

Silhouette Podcast Interview with Mary Hess, Professor of Educational Leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN.

What is possible as you accept a new job? What kind of agency is needed to feel like you belong at hire? What does it mean to know your worth and value?

Learning to read institutional budgets, understand endowments, and be knowledgeable about financial reports will assist faculty persons. Being informed about your school’s financial picture is an aspect of personal wellness.