Ellison Wins Book Grant 

Greg EllisonGregory Ellison, assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling, received an award of $31,200 from the Louisville Institute First Book Grants for Minority Scholars program. The grant is for his 2012–2013 sabbatical year project, “The Silent Fraternity: Minority Male Traumas and the Mystical Power of Silence.”





Significant Staff Milestones

This spring we celebrated the contributions of three staff members who have served Candler for a combined 71 years. Brad Jones, director of finance and administration, completed his 25th year of service to Candler. Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Mary Lou Greenwood Boice marked her 20th anniversary at Candler; she has served as associate dean of admissions and as associate dean of development during different periods of her tenure. Marilyn Schertz, director of Candler Media, celebrated her 26th anniversary at the school. She retired at the end of the spring semester.

Long on Acclaim 

What Shall We SayThomas G. Long’s What Shall We Say? Evil, Suffering, and the Crisis of Faith (Eerdmans, 2011) has won the Academy of Parish Clergy’s 2011 Book of the Year Award, an honor “given to the best book published for parish ministry in the previous year.” In the book, Long offers a biblical, pastoral response to the problem of God and human suffering, exploring what preachers can and should say in response to the painful questions we ask in the face of catastrophe: Is God all-powerful? Is God good? If so, how can God allow such devastation? Long is Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler.


New Offerings Broaden Curriculum 

Candler has added three new offerings to its curriculum: a joint degree in bioethics (MTS/MA) in conjunction with the Laney Graduate School and the Center for Ethics, a joint degree in development practices (MDiv/MDP) in conjunction with the Laney Graduate School, and an MDiv concentration in Justice, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Transformation. This brings the number of joint degrees offered to eight and the number of concentrations to eleven.

Online Courses Introduced

Candler’s first online-only courses debuted in 2012 with Methodist Studies courses taught by Anne Burkholder and Bill Daniel. Other professors are incorporating online elements, such as chat, blogging, and videoconferencing into courses that have classroom meetings as well. Candler received a grant that enables professors to be trained in integrating digital elements into education; between 15 and 20 faculty will have received this training by the end of summer 2013. “Our basic philosophical approach to theological education is that it is an embodied experience, but many of us have been impressed with how digital technologies have offered interesting opportunities for new ways of learning,” Dean Jan Love told the Emory Wheel in January. 

Strawn Appointed to Editorial Board 

Brent StrawnBrent A. Strawn, associate professor of Old Testament, was appointed to the editorial board of the Old Testament Library series, published by Westminster John Knox Press. The board also includes Candler professors Carol A. Newsom and David Petersen. “Brent Strawn brings wonderful scholarly and editorial expertise to the OTL board,” Petersen said. “We are fortunate that he will help guide the next generation of publications in this distinguished series.”




Partners in Peacebuilding 

Candler and General Theological Seminary (GTS) in New York are developing a new joint program in Peacebuilding, Justice, and Conflict Transformation. Designed for pastors, laity, community organizers, youth workers, teachers, students and others interested in learning peacebuilding skills, the program takes place at the Desmond Tutu Center on the GTS campus in Manhattan during January 2013. For more information, contact Candler’s Office of Lifelong Learning, OLL@emory.edu.

New Faculty for Fall 

Four colleagues will join Candler’s faculty this fall. The Right Reverend J. Neil Alexander will leave his current post as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and join us as professor in the practice of liturgy and director of the Episcopal Studies Program. Jehu J. Hanciles will join us as the D.W. and Ruth Brooks Associate Professor of World Christianity. A native of Sierra Leone, Hanciles’ recent research examines the interconnection between globalization, migration, and religious expansion. Ted A. Smith will join us as assistant professor of preaching and ethics. He works at the intersections of practical and political theology, giving special attention to the forms preaching and worship take in modern societies. Susan E. Hylen will join us as an associate research professor of New Testament. An author of books on the gospel of John, her current research explores the roles and authority of women in the first five centuries of Christianity.

Dean’s Lecture Series Debuts 

Bernard LafayetteIn Fall 2011, Candler introduced the Dean’s Lecture Series, featuring influential voices in history, culture, academics, and ministry. Bernard LaFayette Jr., Candler’s distinguished senior scholar-in-residence, kicked off the series with a discussion of his experiences as a Freedom Rider during the Civil Rights Movement. Other presenters included Gary Simpson on preaching, Candida Moss on martyrdom, Jennifer Graber 99T on Christian prisons in the early American republic, and Jehu Hanciles on immigration and religious development. 

Dean’s Lectures are free and open to the public. Speakers for 2012–2013 will be posted on Candler’s website.