Last April, 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology announced as a core faculty member and Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies, beginning in the Fall 2015 term. 鈥淒r. Parker is very gifted, gregarious, and thoughtful, and I am confident that she will be well received (and well loved) in our community,鈥� says Dr. Chelle Stearns, Associate Professor of Theology. We recently sat down for a conversation with Dr. Parker, who moved from Chicago to Seattle with her husband, Victor, earlier this month.
Can you tell us about the path that brought you to 天美视频?
This is really a second or third career for me. My first career was as a paralegal for about 10 years. I was dealing with lots of horrible accidents, and I developed into the role of a comforter for the families of people who had died. I had a pastoral presence, but I knew I did not want to serve in a pastoral ministry. I was always gifted鈥攁nd called, I think鈥攖o a teaching ministry. At that time I was also ordained as a Baptist minister, and I decided to go to seminary.
First I had to go back for my bachelor鈥檚. So I went back to school and became a fitness trainer. I would open the gym and teach classes early in the morning, then go to school, and then be home by the time the kids got out of school. I was a trainer with a women鈥檚 facility and ended up being a pastoral presence there, too, for women going through divorce, or miscarriages, or dealing with obesity. It was a helping ministry. I felt like God was confirming what I was doing in life. And I had been in a very abusive first marriage, so my own story was part of that and part of how I developed as a person.
I graduated with my master鈥檚, married Victor, then we went to New York City and I started my Ph.D. program at Union Theological Seminary. I was there for two years, then transferred to Chicago Theological Seminary and completed my degree in Bible Culture and Hermeneutics with a New Testament focus.
What is it that you love so much about teaching scripture?
It鈥檚 an overall love of the text, love of sacred scripture and its role in the church and in our daily lives. It鈥檚 about putting that awareness into folks going into parish ministry or work as therapists鈥攏ot just putting an arsenal of scripture in our back pockets, but knowing the ancient culture of scripture and what it means for our contemporary culture.
What are some of the ideas you hope to impart to students?
The first thing I always talk about is ethical interpretation of scripture. I never want students to leave a class I taught and think they can use scripture to beat someone over the head.
The second thing is keeping an element of play. Often in our churches, we鈥檙e so somber and sad when we鈥檙e reading scripture. I hope that I will infuse the idea that this is supposed to be fun鈥攖here are puzzle pieces we may not understand, but through spirit, worship, and coming together in community, we can have 鈥淎ha!鈥� moments we may not have in a somber reading of text.
Then there鈥檚 the willingness to ask hard questions of scripture. There are some pieces that sometimes just don鈥檛 make sense, and it鈥檚 okay to say, 鈥淭his doesn鈥檛 make sense, let鈥檚 ask some questions.鈥�
And finally, a love for scripture鈥擨 think that comes in with play as well. It is a privilege to do this, and I can鈥檛 imagine doing anything else.
New York to Chicago to Seattle鈥攖hat鈥檚 quite a journey. What is it about 天美视频 that made it worth taking such a large step?
For some reason I just knew I had to come to the West Coast. And 天美视频 is doing something innovative that other schools are not doing. It鈥檚 the juxtaposition of theology, the Bible, and psychology all together that makes this place have conversations that other schools only have in separate pockets. Here there鈥檚 the opportunity to have conversations all together with colleagues from different fields. I feel as though that will broaden all of us鈥攊t will broaden theology, it will broaden Biblical studies, it will broaden psychology. Across the country, people are still in their own separate pockets, still keeping some things very separate. There鈥檚 something special about this place鈥攂oth Seattle and 天美视频.
How are you adapting to life in Seattle?
Right now, we鈥檝e been exploring every Seattle park. Being outside while it鈥檚 sunny is a good thing. I keep using the word process. I鈥檓 processing everything, processing the environment through being outside in various parks. The other thing is, my husband and I play tennis, but we don鈥檛 play it well鈥攊t鈥檚 about the ability to laugh at ourselves.
Any plans for the rest of the summer?
I鈥檓 here. I鈥檝e been in graduate school for the past seven years, so I don鈥檛 know what a vacation is just yet. I want to hit the ground running, but I think of something Dr. Stearns said鈥攖his is a marathon, not a sprint. I feel like I鈥檝e been sprinting for a very long time, so there鈥檚 a switch I need to hit.
And I want to do some more work on the Apostle Paul. I have an article coming out on racial reconciliation in Galatians, and I want to expand that more and explore what it would look like as a book project.
What are you listening to these days?
We went to the Ballard Seafood Fest recently, and they were playing some rap. I was so surprised to see rap in Ballard, and it was old-school rap. I like 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s hip-hop鈥擨鈥檓 a Salt-N-Pepa girl. And right now, I鈥檝e been playing a lot of Bruno Mars鈥� 鈥淯ptown Funk,鈥� so don鈥檛 be alarmed if you hear that around here sometimes.
Anything else you鈥檇 like to say to 天美视频 community?
First, thank you for welcoming me. I feel very welcomed in this space. Second, I look forward to having conversations and hearing about anything that crosses folks鈥� minds regarding scripture, theology, or psychology. I look forward to years of future work together.