Divcast

Join Rev. Todd Maberry and Dr. Nina Balmaceda, Consulting Faculty and Associate Director for the Center for Reconciliation (CFR) at Duke Divinity School as they talk about her life and work. Dr. Balmaceda has contributed to the legal profession in Peru and she is the current president of Peace and Hope International. She instructs Divinity students through her work with the CFR and also as a professor in and co-director of the Certificate in Faith-based Organizing, Advocacy, and Social Transformation. Find the book she mentions, Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Religion, Public Policy, and Conflict Transformation edited by Helmick and Peterson here https://templetonpress.org/books/forgiveness-and-reconciliation/. Stream The Chair on Netflix. Learn more about the Center for Reconciliation, their programing, and global impact on their website: https://divinity.duke.edu/initiatives/cfr More information on international Field Education opportunities for Residential Master of Divinity students can be found here: https://divinity.duke.edu/formation/field-education/international-field-education

Join us for our next faculty conversation between Rev. Maberry and Dr. Ron Rittgers. They cover topics such as, the value of having space to ask all your questions and what it means to be a theologian of the cross. Dr. Rittgers explains his scholarship broadly as taking what we have learned from the past and applying it to the present day. He explores the delight in unearthing texts and engaging previous generations of Christians. And, perhaps most importantly, they answer the question: can you be cool and a Christian at the same time? Dr. Rittgers recent publication, A Widower's Lament: The Pious Meditations of Johann Christoph Oelhafen, can be found here. Find a copy of the book Dr. Rittgers recently read, Josef Pieper's, Faith, Hope, and Love, online. You can stream Picard on Paramount+. Learn more about the Duke Divinity student body on our website: https://divinity.duke.edu/admissions/our-students

If you have just started thinking about graduate theological education, this episode will be a resource for you! "Start Here" features the three Duke Divinity School recruiters discussing basic questions like: What is graduate school? What are the degree options at Duke? What are some tips for successfully starting this process? We hope that you will enjoy this conversation and learn a little about where to start.

Rev. Todd Maberry joins one of our newest faculty members, Dr. Daniel Castelo, to discuss what it is like to join our community, what can be lost in translation, and how family can support our stories. They also face questions such as, is theological work an act of worship or a spiritual discipline? Can a siesta be the key to surviving life as a night owl? Join us for this lively conversation. You can find the books Dr. Castelo mentioned, The Cost of Discipleship and These Truths, through their publishers. You can stream the show Monk on Amazon Prime. Dr. Castelo is the William Kellon Quick Professor of Theology and Methodist Studies at Duke Divinity School. He joins two other new faculty this fall and you can learn more about all the new faculty and their  scholarship here. The Pentecost Window mentioned in this episode is found on the ground floor of the Westbrook Building. You can register for an on-campus visit here to see it in person.

Welcome to a new academic year at Duke Divinity School and a new season of Divcast episodes! We are excited to share conversations with new faculty members, those who have been woven into our community for years, alumni stories, and bonus episodes that we hope will help prospective students in their discernment. Our Dean, Rev. Dr. Edgardo Colón-Emeric, was recently installed at our opening convocation service by Duke University provost, Dr. Sally Kornbluth. He joins Rev. Maberry (Senior Director of Admissions, Recruitment, and Student Finance and Divcast host), to talk about his vision for Duke Divinity School in 2021. We hope you are inspired, as we have been, by the promise and hope of new leadership as we work together to continue to build the cathedral that Duke Divinity School aspires to be. Please read about or watch Dean Colón-Emeric's installation service on our Stories@DDS website.

Join Rev. Maberry as he chats with '11 M.Div. graduate and current Senior Director of Cross-Sector Initiatives at Duke Divinity School, A.J. Walton. A.J.'s current role entails diverse responsibilities such as serving with graduate and undergraduate fellowship programs through the Purpose Project of the Kenan Institute for Ethics, working with Kate Bowler and Everything Happens, and storytelling related to anti-racism initiatives at Duke Divinity School. The thread that runs through his varied educational and career history is his interest in community impact and improving the lives of others. Take a listen to hear advice for seminarians, and those considering seminary, including: not apologizing for your identities, finding common spaces that provide freedom and peace, and finding a mentor. You will also hear the answer to the burning question, "can you mail Bojangles sweet tea?"

Join us for a conversation between ’06 M.Div. alumna Rev. Elizabeth Hagan and Rev. Maberry as they discuss the unexpected pathways that a life in ministry can take. Their conversation contains advice for those who dream of using their theological training to lean into the ministerial vocation of a published author, the need for community among writers, and whether study groups might be the most fun part of the seminary experience. The book she is reading, titled Christian Minimalism, can be found here https://www.churchpublishing.org/christianminimalism Rev. Hagan is a pastor, speaker, and author with a book forthcoming, Brave Church: Tackling Tough Topics Together, that serves as a catalyst for congregations willing to have difficult conversations with love. Learn more about her work and how your church might become a brave church at https://elizabethhagan.com/

Rev. Maberry spends this Divcast speaking with Duke Divinity alumnus Rev. Ryan Spurrier, an elder in the United Methodist Church currently serving as Campus Minister at the Wesley Campus Ministry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC Wesley is a vibrant ministry that has many students go on to seminary and is also a field education placement location for residential Master of Divinity students at Duke Divinity School. Rev. Spurrier has been leading UNC Wesley since 2015, and before UNC, he served as an associate pastor in South Carolina. Listen in as they discuss what it is like to be part of campus ministry at a large southern university in the time of Black Lives Matter and during the removal of Confederate war monuments established during the time of Jim Crow laws, how to root the sense of home in your call to ministry, and the ever pressing tension between love of Duke University, love of UNC basketball, and love of Clemson football.

Rev. Maberry connects with Rev. Michael Gulker in this episode of Divcast. Rev. Gulker is a '05 M.Div. alumnus and is a co-founder and current president of The Colossian Forum in Grand Rapids, M.I. The Colossian Forum started in 2011 as an effort to help church congregations turn points of tension into positive spiritual formation. Michael is particularly interested in the intersections of culture and faith, and how they can lead to worship. He is the co-editor of All Things Hold Together in Christ: A Conversation on Faith, Science, and Virtue. He is an ordained Mennonite pastor. Rev. Maberry and Rev. Gulker explore topics such as finding delight across difference, the important discussions that happen in seminary hallways between classes, and how conflict resolution can occur through embodied practices and worship. Learn more about The Colossian Way conflict resolution discipleship practice. Read about Rev. Gulker at Faith and Leadership. Check out the book Rev. Gulker read, The Church of Us vs. Them by David Fitch. We also invite you to learn more about the Duke Divinity School Center for Reconciliation, mentioned in this episode, and their 2021 Summer Institute for Reconciliation (virtual sessions May 12-14) or register online.

On this episode we are joined by Rev. Mycal X. Brickhouse, a 2016 M.Div. grad, pastor in Cary, N.C., and also our Director of Alumni Relations at Duke Divinity School. Rev. Brickhouse and Rev. Maberry connect across many topics, but they especially answer the following questions: what is it like to serve as a bivocational pastor, what role can the church have in the public sphere, and does UNC Chapel Hill have a Divinity School? Take a listen for the answer to those questions and more. If you would like to read the book Rev. Brickhouse just read, The Politics of Jesus by Obery Hendricks, find it here. You can stream Lovecraft Country over at HBO. Enjoy Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles here. Rev. Brickhouse's writing can be found on his website and you can learn more about the work of his church, Cary First, on theirs. We invite you to learn more about our Office of Black Church Studies, including the Certificate in Black Church Studies, and the many courses, preaching series, and events curated each year.

On this episode of Divcast, aimed at those moving to the Durham community, we take a look at six different areas that you should consider about Durham when relocating here: Housing, Transportation, Culture and the Arts, Restaurants and Dining, the Triangle as a whole, and Nature. Our two staff assistants run the show this time, with Brandon Holmes hosting and Kinsley Whitworth as the guest. We hope you grow to love Durham and the Triangle as we have. You can learn more about Project Bri(DDD)ge on our website. Our suggestions on this episode do not constitute an endorsement from Duke Divinity School. However, we did get the complexes, companies, and organizations listed on the episode from current student recommendations and also from personal positive experiences. It takes research to find a place to live and to learn about a community -- we hope this bonus episode can be part of your research.

We have come to the end of our short series following student stories in their Field Education experiences. Our final episode showcases stories of three students who served international placements during their time at Duke Divinity School. Student intern host Evelyn Archer-Taminger connects with colleagues to explore three examples of the broad range of experiences that students have in service internationally. Stephanie Hilton, M.Div. '21, tells about her time in Uganda where she worked with a rural Roman Catholic parish and school. In a location on the other side of the world, we'll also hear from Kyle Tremblay, M.Div. '21, and Benjamin Crook, M.Div. '21, who lived and served at La Casa del Migrante a men’s guesthouse in Tijuana, Mexico in 2019. Learn more about the variety of international placements available through Field Education at Duke Divinity School here. Thank you for joining us for this episode and this student-hosted series, Engaging in the Field.

Student intern host, Evelyn Archer-Taminger, M.Div. '21, continues our series of stories from Field Education with an episode about how four student interns have adapted to serving in unexpected situations and in new, innovative ways due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Evelyn connects with Bria Rochelle, M.Div. '21, about the challenges of serving a church in Indiana from her home in Alabama and how to stay fueled during this marathon. Kiana Hertough, M.Div. '22, shares her story of joining with a church plant that was 10 weeks young in March of 2020. Gilbert Lawrence Barney, M.Div. '22, talks about pandemic disappointments and how to persevere in difficult times as well as when to keep your mic on mute. Finally, Shawn Klein, M.Div. '21, reflects on his variety of experiences in Field Education and how relationships bring layers of meaning to ministry. If you want to learn more about the initiative mentioned at the end of this episode, check out the incredible work done by Theology, Medicine, and Culture through Duke Divinity School.

We continue our student-led series, Engaging in the Field: Student Stories from Field Education, with an episode about an innovative Duke Divinity School program. Communities of Learning consist of cohorts of student interns and ministry leaders committed to connecting congregations with their communities. Through this program, residential M.Div. students participating in field education placements in the same geographical area meet together with ministry and nonprofit leaders to collaborate on strengthening their communities. Communities of Learning affirm what we already know: that churches do not exist in a vacuum; they exist inside a larger context alongside other stakeholders with a vested interest in their community’s flourishing. Divcast student intern host, Evelyn Archer-Taminger, M.Div. '21 talks with her colleagues Bailey Brislin, M.Div. '21 and Maggie Liston, M.Div./M.S.W., '22 about their experiences serving in these generative and collaborative internships. Bailey describes over multiple placements in Communities of Learning how she developed support systems for ministry and and ecumenical understanding as she partnered across denominations in the communities where she served. Maggie talks about serving in Communities of Learning and how they shaped her internship experiences by introducing her to the communities in a deep way. Maggie also shares practices of self care and bonding with cohort members that made these experiences life giving. Learn more about the Communities of Learning placements here.

Welcome to our new student-led episode series, Engaging in the Field: Student Stories from Field Education, that will be posted on Sundays during spring of 2021. One of our Divcast student interns, Evelyn Archer-Taminger, M.Div. ’21 is taking over the host role for this series. She connects with other current residential Master of Divinity students to tell stories of their experiences with Duke Divinity School’s Field Education program. Field Education is a required component of the M.Div. degree and serves as a valuable companion to classroom academic work. Students serving in contextual learning in a variety of placements including in churches, nonprofits, agencies, and in hospitals as clinical pastoral care interns nurtures growth both in their vocational discernment and in their spiritual lives. In this first episode of the series, “Growing in Your Call,” Evelyn speaks with senior residential M.Div. students Kari Martin and Kyle MacDonald. Each has had a range of experiences with field education and weaves together how the placements they served in grew them in unexpected ways. Kari grew up part of a non-denominational church in Virginia and pursued placements at Duke where she could be formed in church settings affiliated with both the United Methodist Church and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. While Kyle, came to Duke from Kentucky with tons of music ministry experience and grew his idea of what kinds of ministry God might be calling him into. Enjoy Evelyn’s conversation with her colleagues Kari and Kyle. Due to the ongoing complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic, pre-enrollment discernment opportunities for incoming students may be limited or eliminated. The Office of Field Education will make an official determination by April of 2021.

Join us for a conversation with Duke Divinity alumnus Rev. R.G. Wilson-Lyons. In his 15 years of ministry, Rev. Wilson-Lyons has gone from pastor of a house church in an under-served community, to a downtown congregation, and now is exploring what the future of ministry looks like through online storytelling. Rev. Wilson-Lyons illustrates his role of pastor in Birmingham’s West End as one of convener for the work of community that is done by community members with their skills, wisdom, and sensitivity to their own community needs. He also works through what kinds of connections might be possible, during this season of COVID-19, through our shared experience of physical estrangement with digital access. Read about the transformative work done around food insecurity and community development in Birmingham’s West End by chef Ama Shambulia here. Learn more about Rev. Wilson-Lyons new ministry and read his reflections by checking out the Patreon community page, Story Formed. You can find the book he recently read, Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl here.

Host Rev. Todd Maberry catches up with alumna Dr. Jessica Wai-Fong Wong, who earned her M.Div. and Ph.D. from Duke. Dr. Wong serves as Assistant Professor of systematic theology at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. She also is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Dr. Wong probes deep questions of race, image, and identity in her scholarship. She chats with us about how a young woman from Texas follows a path to an M.Div. in North Carolina, how to pursue a doctoral degree, and if there is more to Californian cuisine than the avocado. Dr. Wong’s book, Disordered: The Holy Icon and Racial Myths is forthcoming in fall 2021 from Baylor University Press.

Please join us for a special episode where Dean L. Gregory Jones and host Todd Maberry discuss the state of Duke Divinity School in 2021. They outline how Duke Divinity School has met and continues to meet the challenges and complexities of our present time with creativity and courage. Dean Jones shares how we have shown institutional flexibility and resilience in the midst of much change. Learn about new and emerging opportunities and also our foundational priorities, which remain the same.

A conductor, composer, and scholar of sacred music, Rev. Dr. Zebulon Highben serves as both associate professor of the practice of church music at Duke Divinity School and director of Chapel Music at Duke University Chapel. He conducts the Duke Chapel Choir and oversees the Chapel’s extensive music program, which connects students, community members, staff singers, instrumentalists, and professional colleagues in myriad worship services and sacred concerts. He joins us to talk about the richness of a vocational life as a musician, teacher, and ordained Deacon. Rev. Dr. Highben gives us insights like why you shouldn't scold your acolytes for missing hymnals, how music can preach, when the rehearsal can be more satisfying than the concert, and how to find flow in church music.

Dr. Janet Martin Soskice serves as the William K. Warren Distinguished Research Professor of Catholic Theology at Duke Divinity School. Her scholarship epitomizes interdisciplinary curiosity, exploring a range of topics from theology, to philosophy of religion, religious language, gender and religion, science and religion, and Jewish, Muslim, and Christian relations. She shares a companionable conversation with Rev. Maberry as they discuss how a theologian is like a vintage of wine, the power of conversion experiences, the importance of metaphor when talking about God, and what you can find when you travel by camel.

In this episode, we were delighted to speak with Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol. She is a Duke Divinity School alumna, board of visitors member, author, and pastor at Mount Vernon Place UMC in the heart of Washington, D.C. She and Rev. Maberry have a conversation about her ministry as a pastor in an urban church, managing change in the parish, political polarization in the US, and the inside scoop on who has the best job in Washington, D.C. Pastor Donna blogs at Words from Washington.

Take a listen to our interview with Dr. Peter Casarella (Professor of Theology). He shares a thoughtful conversation with Rev. Maberry about how his Colombian and Italian American background informed his upbringing, how voices from marginalized and indigenous communities bring him closer to the Biblical world, ecumenicism and Christian unity, and the pleasures of el cotidiano or the everyday.

Dr. Wylin D. Wilson (Assistant Professor of Theological Ethics) is one of the faculty members who joined Duke Divinity School in 2020-2021 academic year. She joins us to tell stories including about how the highest value of an education is the ability to learn to serve others, disparities in healthcare access in rural America, reasons why it might be okay to move to Durham, NC even during a pandemic, and the gift of solitude. This interview was recorded separately due to the physical distancing required during the fall of 2020.

We had the great privilege of a conversation with Bishop Ken Carter, Duke Divinity alumnus, Bishop of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, President of the UMC Council of Bishops, and current Bishop-in-Residence at Duke Divinity School. Bishop Carter offers wisdom about discerning your call, seeking the humanity in others in the midst of conflict, and the time he spotted Coach K doing his laundry. You can follow Bishop Carter on Twitter @bishopkencarter This interview was recorded separately due to the physical distancing required during the fall of 2020.

Host Todd Maberry speaks with Dr. Sarah Jean Barton (Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Theological Ethics) about the many connections she finds in her work and life. They cover topics such as theology of disability, the intersection of occupational therapy and the church, the power of pilgrimage and prayer, and whether or not it is possible to have enough dogs named after The West Wing characters. This interview was recorded separately due to the physical distancing required during the summer of 2020.

Join Admissions colleagues Rev. Todd Maberry, Ms. Minoka Gunesekera, and Rev. Ashley Cross as they walk you through our best advice to Duke Divinity School applicants. This episode is tailor-made for someone currently applying or planning to apply. If you are are an alumnus or friend of Duke Divinity School, consider sharing this episode with someone you know who might (or should) be considering seminary.

Continuing our series, Essential Questions with Duke Divinity Faculty, join host Todd Maberry for a meaningful conversation with Rev. Dr. Norbert Wilson (Professor of Food, Economics, and Community), which took place during the summer of 2020. Listen in as they discuss faith, scholarship, what it is like to be human in a COVID-19 world, and that one time Dr. Wilson experienced the perfect cup of coffee. This interview was recorded in separate locations due to the physical distancing required at the time.

Duke Divinity Admissions is spotlighting faculty members in our first series: Essential Questions with Duke Divinity Faculty. As our first episode in the series, host Rev. Todd Maberry has a wide-ranging discussion with one of our core faculty members, Rev. Dr. Edgardo Colón-Emeric. Enjoy their conversation that covers surprise and transformation in the global church, the wounded history of our communities, longing for winter weather while living in Puerto Rico, and suggestions of beautiful places in the world you can take a long run while listening to theologians. This interview was recorded in the summer of 2020 and in separate locations due to the physical distancing required at the time.