An introduction from Dr. Lauren Sawyer

In fall 2024, our Masters of Theology and Culture students participated in TCE 546O: Constructive Theology, a course that introduced students to the particular intricacies of constructive theology鈥揳 mode of or orientation toward doing theology鈥揺specially alongside systematic and dogmatic theologies. With the help of our course readings, particularly Jason Wyman鈥檚 , we together built a blueprint for reading and then doing constructive theology.

We highlighted how constructive theology is a way of doing Christian theology that takes tradition seriously while also challenging certain assumptions. Constructive theology is inherently interdisciplinary and concerns itself with the very real issues of today鈥檚 world.

The final project for the term invited students to construct a theology, with the option of creating it through artistic means with an accompanying annotated bibliography. It is tempting to think that 鈥済ood鈥� theology only happens through academic paper-writing. My students, Vanessa Ryerse included, clearly showed how that is a false limitation. Constructing an open, tradition-respectful, ethics-oriented theology can happen in many beautiful ways.

Constructive Theology Assignment by Vanessa Ryerse

As a working mosaic artist, the opportunity to craft a project for our Constructive Theology class was an intuitive and welcome assignment. I create from broken dishes, and I am particularly interested in new meanings emerging from juxtaposition.

In this work, it could be imagined that each piece in the mosaic was a reference to the readings from Constructive Theology class as well as Intersections 1, which is concerned with the question of “What is the self?” There are also many visual call backs to other artists, who build on other work, such as Kehinde Wiley, who suggests religious iconography and Kara Walker, who touches on silhouettes as stereotypes. Jeanne Vaccaro鈥檚 work likening trans-bodies to hand-made bodies strongly influenced the project.

The resulting work, playing on the shape of a human shooting target asks the viewer to see God in the most vulnerable, and in one鈥檚 enemy, while at the same time interrogating certitude about the way God is known. This shooting target motif is an important addition to my body of work, which I first began to explore in the wake of the , as seen in 鈥淩end And Remember,鈥� a work that will next appear in the show at the Academy Art Museum in Maryland in the fall of 2025.

About Vanessa

Vanessa Ryerse, an associate board certified chaplain, is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Theology & Culture 鈥� The Arts at 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology. She chose the program to enrich and deepen her chaplaincy practice and is grateful for how seamlessly the curriculum integrates with and supports her work in spiritual care.

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Resmaa Menakem is a New York Times best-selling, artist, and psychotherapist specializing in the effects of trauma on the human body and relationships in Black families and Black society. His important book , was published in September 2017 and his most recent book, was published in 2022.

is a writer, liturgist, speaker seeking a deeply contemplative life marked by embodiment and emotion. She is the creator of , a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator. In her work, she produces and curates content to guide others into deeper musings and embodiment of the faith. She was also a for Advent in 2020.

is a contemporary theologian associated with process theology and womanist theology. She is John and Patricia Cochran Scholar for Inclusive Excellence and Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Delaware. Her memoir reflects on her experience and process around faith, race, and mental health. Her second book, , is included in syllabi in theological schools around the country.

is a dynamic speaker, teacher, author, and reconciliation leader. Her mission is to inspire and empower emerging Christian leaders to be practitioners of reconciliation in their various spheres of influence. Her book, , offers a distinctly Christian framework for addressing systemic injustice. In her most recent book, Dr. McNeil looks to the biblical story of Nehemiah for action-based model for repairing and rebuilding our communities and transforming broken systems. Listen to Rev. Dr. McNeil on The Allender Center podcast.

Jemar Tisby (BA, University of Notre Dame; MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is聽a co-host of the and the author of the New York Times bestseller, 聽and several .

is an African-American Episcopal priest, womanist theologian, and the inaugural Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary. She is also the Canon Theologian at the Washington National Cathedral. She wrote which Dr. Ron Ruthruff uses in his course Word on the Street.

is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker, and media producer providing inspired leadership on racial justice in America. She is the author of and the Executive Producer of web series

Willie James Jennings teaches systematic theology and Africana studies at Yale Divinity School and is known for his award-winning book .

has 30 years of experience working with grassroots organizations, helping them unleash possibilities and reach their deeper potential. He has a PhD in Clinical and Community Psychology from Boston University, and Med in Counseling from Cleveland University. He is an executive coach, Professor of Practice, and the Associate Director of the Leadership Institute at the University of San Diego.

is a womanist theologian and activist, ordained United Methodist elder, and national and international lecturer. She currently serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Meadville Lombard Theological School and Associate Professor of Constructive Theology. Dr. Lightsey is also the author of . You can watch Dr. Lightsey engage with a panel of speakers at our .

is the Neil F. and Ila A. Fisher Chair of Theology at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and the author of . Dr. Brian Bantum was also our keynote speaker at the annual Stanley Grenz Lecture in 2020, .

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Watch the video above or read the transcript below:

Who Is Your Neighbor?

A few weeks ago, at 7:48 in the evening, I received a text that caught me off guard:
“Hi Derek, sorry to bother you, but I鈥檓 not feeling well. I鈥檓 sitting on your neighbor鈥檚 steps to the right. Would you walk me home?”

The message was from our neighbor Sadie, an older woman who lives just around the corner. Over time, we had become casually acquainted鈥� thanks to my wife, who walks her dog and visits with her regularly. Sadie lives alone and is battling cancer, and my wife has made it a point to be present for her in small but meaningful ways.

That evening, though, my wife was out of town鈥擨 had just dropped her off at the airport鈥攁nd I was expecting a quiet, uneventful night. Instead, I rushed outside to find our neighbor sitting on the steps in the dark, exhausted from her trip home from the hospital.

Sadie had just started a new treatment, and the effects were debilitating. Weak and nauseous, she鈥檇 made it only a block from the bus stop to our house before having to stop. I tried to help her to her feet, but she immediately doubled over, clutching the tree in front of my house, vomiting. Every few steps triggered another wave, and she needed to stop again and again to regain her strength.

At one point, I brought out a chair so she could sit on the sidewalk, but she insisted she needed to get home because her dog was waiting for her. I asked her repeatedly if I should call an ambulance for her but she said no. The short walk to her house鈥攗sually just a few minutes鈥攚as beginning to feel like a challenging journey.

As the situation unfolded, I became increasingly aware of the cars passing by. I couldn鈥檛 help but wonder what they thought of this odd scene: a Black man and an older white woman stumbling along the sidewalk. Truthfully, I felt uneasy.

As a Black man in a predominantly white neighborhood, this didn鈥檛 feel safe for me. I was raised to avoid situations like this鈥攐nes that could easily be misinterpreted. A part of me wanted to call an ambulance right then and step back, to let someone else take over. Another part of me felt frustrated鈥攔esentful, even鈥攖hat I was in this position.

But as the minutes stretched into an hour, one question kept repeating in my mind:
“Who is your neighbor?”

And the answer was here in front of me.
Sadie is my neighbor.

It is amazing how much care and love you can gain for someone when you enter into their pain and allow yourself to know their struggle.听

This whole experience with Sadie of getting her back settled in her home was three hours of what normally would have been less than a 5 minute walk, and it profoundly impacted me. I was being invited, in that moment with her, not just to be a neighbor but to become a neighbor.听

The Gospel of Luke tells the story of Jesus sharing the parable of the Good Samaritan. It begins with a lawyer asking Jesus a profound question: 鈥淲hat must I do to inherit eternal life?鈥�

Jesus, not fully trusting his sincerity, turns the question back on him: 鈥淲hat does the law say?鈥�

The lawyer answers confidently: 鈥淵ou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.鈥�

Jesus responds. 鈥淓xactly. Do that, and you鈥檒l live.鈥�

But the lawyer pressed further, asking a provocative follow-up: 鈥淎nd who is my neighbor?鈥�

When the lawyer asks, 鈥淲ho is my neighbor?鈥� he鈥檚 pressing Jesus to clarify something important: What are the limits of my moral and social obligations? In other words, he鈥檚 asking, Am I only responsible for people like me鈥攖hose within my group, my community, my comfort zone? Or, Does my responsibility extend beyond those boundaries to include people I鈥檇 rather avoid?

It鈥檚 a question that cuts to the heart of how we draw lines around who matters and who doesn鈥檛.听聽

Jesus answers the lawyer with a parable.

A Jewish man is traveling when he鈥檚 attacked by robbers. They leave him beaten and suffering on the side of the road. Two men鈥攁 priest and a Levite鈥攑ass by without helping him. Finally, a Samaritan comes along. He sees the man, has compassion, and cares for him.

This part of the story would have been shocking for Jesus鈥� audience. Jews and Samaritans had a long-standing feud, deeply rooted in political and religious tension. They didn鈥檛 just dislike each other; they were enemies.

When Jesus finishes the story, he asks the lawyer, 鈥淲hich of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked?鈥�

The lawyer answers, 鈥淭he one who showed him mercy.鈥�

And Jesus closes: 鈥淕o and do likewise.鈥�

These days I find myself asking the question: how do I love someone who doesn鈥檛 really care for me or even wants my destruction? What limits can I have to protect myself?

Jesus鈥� response doesn鈥檛 just redefine who is my neighbor鈥攈e redefines what it means to belong to one another. He shifts the conversation from determining the limits of my obligation to embodying the agency of love, one that acts in the world to dismantle barriers and insists that we all are interconnected.

This response, for me, is a hard saying: 鈥�go and do it.鈥� It鈥檚 not abstract. It鈥檚 not distancing. It鈥檚 not an idea. He鈥檚 saying do it.听

I have decided the only way to hold on to this is an embodied conviction that love is the decisive force that transforms the story of humanity鈥攆rom one of enslavement to one of redemption. This is a fierce loving, one that takes on fears with an unrelenting determination. A love that endures all, bears all, hopes all, and perseveres through the crushing weight of fear, self-loathing, and the fragmentation of shame. To hold an embodied conviction means this is not just mental assent, but something that shapes your choices, relationships, and presence. We must know this love ourselves to believe it is possible, that it has touched us in the midst of our fragmentation and shame鈥攖hat it can give us a future and a hope. Without this embodied experience it is hard to believe or trust.

That night with my neighbor Sadie, I realized being a neighbor isn鈥檛 always convenient. And in these times it asks us to face fears we鈥檇 rather avoid, to press through discomforts, and to step into situations that hold risk. At times, it will even ask us to love those who were formerly our enemies, because in becoming a real neighbor, one doesn鈥檛 turn away 鈥� it asks us to love ferocity.听

This fierce love brings us full circle to Jesus鈥檚 story of the Samaritan: to move toward our neighbor with compassion, even when it costs us, even when our fears threaten to hold us back. It is the love that sees the wounds of another and refuses to walk away, a love that understands our shared humanity and calls us to belong to one another. But it is more than just individual action鈥攊t is a communal response, a commitment to the restoration of all things. This love binds us together, heals what is fractured, and invites us into God鈥檚 grand story of redemption鈥攁 story where our neighbor or our enemy, their well-being is inseparable from our own, and where love transforms not just relationships, but our world itself. This is the love that restores, renews, and fiercely insists that we all belong. It is a love bigger than ourselves.听

This love reminds us that God鈥檚 work is always about restoration through the sacrificial love-work of Christ. It鈥檚 not just about being helpful in a singular moment; it鈥檚 about participating in something bigger鈥攖he healing of relationships, communities, and even creation itself.

So, I鈥檒l leave you with this question:
“Who is your neighbor?”

And when you find your answer, step toward them with courage, compassion, and a love that refuses to give up. Because that鈥檚 how we participate in God鈥檚 story of healing and renewal.

So, as Jesus says, 鈥淕o and do likewise.鈥� Embrace the story that God intends.

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Red Brick Building: The Liminal Space by Sunghee Kim

This fall, our second-floor gallery at 2501 Elliott Ave. features watercolors created by Sunghee Kim, a second-year student in the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program. Through the Artist Statement and interview below, she shares more about her experiences as a 天美视频 student and artist.

Prints of these paintings are available for purchase in the , with proceeds supporting the BIPOC student group. More information about an online auction for these nine original paintings will be available early in the new year.

Artist Statement:

In my first year at 天美视频, I often sat quietly in the Back Alley in the mornings, watching the blue sky, the water, the trains, and the cruise ships pass by through the window. During these moments, the Red Brick Building became a liminal space for me鈥攁 place where I lost track of time, reflected on my past, grounded myself in the present, and held hope for the future. To capture the emotions, joys, and struggles I experienced there, I began drawing and painting the Red Brick Building.听

Many thanks to my classmates and instructors who helped and encouraged me to discover my joy in painting. As we prepare to move to a new campus farther south of downtown Seattle, I hope these paintings will evoke memories of joy and gratitude, as well as the struggles and sorrows, for those who shared this space. I hope these paintings inspire people to embrace their own journeys, use their talents, and share their gifts with the world.

What drew you to 天美视频 and how did you choose your degree program?

I thought I knew why I came here, but now that feels like a question for me too, as I keep finding new answers along the way. I’ve always been interested in understanding the human mind, and I also wanted to understand why I was struggling so much to adjust to life here in America, even when I was surrounded by kind people. I’ve seen many of my friends, especially international students and immigrants, struggling in similar ways, but it’s difficult to find someone who is truly willing to listen to our voices. I thought I needed to be the first to listen to my own story, so I could develop my capacity to listen deeply to others. This is one of the many reasons鈥攕ome still not fully clear to me鈥攚hy I began studying Counseling Psychology at 天美视频.

What has been a favorite class at 天美视频?

So far, I鈥檓 both enjoying and challenged by all of my classes. Each one offers so much to learn and work through. Instead of naming a favorite, I鈥檇 like to share how certain classes have inspired me to draw and paint.

In the winter term of 2024, I took a course on Narrative, Identity, and Asian American Experiences with Dr. Jermaine Ma. She encouraged us to express our emotions using just three colors with colored pencils or any other art supplies we had. At first, I picked random colors, started coloring, and then gripped the pencil in a sort of rebellious way. I drew lines and circles without any form or order. It felt like something was cracking open inside me, like I was opening a box I didn鈥檛 know I had. From that moment on, I kept art supplies close by on my desk, but did not begin drawing or painting. Suddenly, I remembered how much I had enjoyed drawing and painting when I was a kid.听

In the same term, I was taking the Critical Learning Lab with Dr. Dwight Friesen, where I frequently heard the term “unlearning.” It prompted me to reflect on how I could become more flexible in letting go of what I was used to doing and believing. So, I decided to approach everything differently, what I called the 鈥渟tupid way.鈥� I dedicated the most time to the assignment with the least weight on the grade. For the final presentation of my “My Landmark” project, which I had already earned enough points to pass, I spent hours and hours working on it. Instead of using PowerPoint, I hand-drew all the slides for my presentation. After giving the presentation with my own paintings in this class, I got enough courage to paint as a way of expressing my Korean immigrant identity for the final assignment for Narrative, Identity, and Asian American Experiences class. Those paintings were later displayed at the Underrepresented Students鈥� Voices Gallery throughout spring term and summer at the school.听

In the spring term of 2024, I took an elective class called The Artist鈥檚 Way with Dr. Pat Loughery. Throughout the course, students were asked to create any kind of creative works, and I decided to try urban sketching, something I had never done before. Then, I ended up painting the 天美视频. Some of the paintings currently displayed at the gallery are pieces I created during this class.

What draws you to watercolor painting?

I do love various, different types of art mediums, but when it comes to watercolor, I particularly love its picky and sensitive personality. Watercolor painting requires a lot of patience. It never allows me to take a shortcut. It is also not forgiving. Once I make a mistake, there鈥檚 no going back. So, I have to slow down and learn to accept my mistakes as part of the 鈥淎rt.鈥澛�

Another thing I really love about watercolor is its transparency. Sometimes the color on the paper is really bold and vivid, and other times, it鈥檚 almost invisible. What I appreciate is that, no matter how strong or faint the color is, it never fully takes over the paper. If you let it cover the whole surface, it loses that delicate, shimmering beauty that makes watercolor so unique. I enjoy this challenging, sometimes even painful, process of creating a watercolor painting.

How did your classmates and instructors encourage you to find joy in painting?

What I really appreciate most is their presence. Instead of offering comments or advice, they were just there with me, spending time and sharing curiosity about my stories. That alone made me feel heard and seen. Once my story was heard by them, I became more curious about what I wanted to express. Their curiosity about me helped spark my own curiosity in various areas. This year, painting became one of the mediums through which I expressed myself.听

At this point in time, what would you like to explore after graduating from 天美视频?

Well, like many students, after graduating, I want to complete the required clinical hours and pass the licensure exam as soon as possible, and eventually secure a stable position as a counselor. But these are just factual steps. At this moment, my main focus is to explore my own picture of the world and to cultivate a deeper curiosity within myself. By doing this, I hope to develop my capacity to see and listen to others鈥� pictures of the world and their voices more fully. Ideally, I would love to work with people of color, international students, immigrants, and refugees. If I could serve as a blank canvas on which they feel free and safe to express themselves, I couldn鈥檛 be happier. The journey I鈥檓 on now feels like it鈥檚 strengthening me to become like watercolor paper鈥攁ble to hold water and pigments without warping.

What鈥檚 your hope for these Red Brick Building paintings and reproductions?

Initially, I started painting the school building to capture moments of both joy and struggle that I experienced here. To finish just one painting, I鈥檇 spend hours looking at the same spot鈥攐r a photo of it鈥攐ver and over. Through that process, I noticed something special happening: an ordinary place would transform into something extraordinary, from a simple object into a meaningful and spiritual subject. I hope my paintings can remind others of their own moments at the school, prompting them to pause, reflect on their memories, and perhaps even experience a transformation of their own.

We often pass through doors, walk up and down staircases, or look through windows without paying them much attention. But when these ordinary objects are captured on paper, they stop being mere backgrounds and become the main subjects. I hope鈥攁nd this is a hope I carry for life鈥攖hat people who have been marginalized can receive this same level of warm attention, both in quality and quantity, so that their often invisible identities become visible and their unheard voices are truly heard, just as the doors and staircases became focal points in my paintings. This is why I want to donate all profits from selling my artwork to support BIPOC student groups.

Find the Red Brick Building: The Liminal Space prints at 天美视频 .

Learn more about our Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology.

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Dr. Dwight Friesen, Professor of Practical Theology, Dr. Paul Hoard, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, and 天美视频 Admissions Counselor Milli Haase, MDiv 鈥�21, joined Lisa Sharon Harper for a panel discussion exploring grief, shame, and community focused on the profound implications of being made in the likeness of God.听

Lisa Sharon Harper is the founder and president of , a groundbreaking consulting group that crafts experiences that bring common understanding and common commitments that lead to common action toward a more just world. Lisa is a public theologian whose writing, speaking, activism and training has sparked and fed the fires of re-formation in the church from Ferguson and Charlottesville to South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Ireland. Lisa鈥檚 book, Fortune: How Race Broke My Family And The World–And How To Repair It All was named one of the 鈥淏est Books of 2022鈥� and The Very Good Gospel was named 2016 鈥淏ook of the Year鈥� by Englewood Review of Books. The Huffington Post identified Lisa as one of 50 Women Religious Leaders to Celebrate on International Women鈥檚 Day. Lisa is host of the Freedom Road Podcast, cohost of The FOUR Podcast and author of her weekly column on Substack, 鈥淭he Truth Is鈥︹��.

We are grateful to Lisa Sharon Harper for sharing with our community a deeper historical understanding of the conflict in Gaza as well as theological grounding in the Kingdom of God as we continue the conversation and wrestle with the call of leaders, therapists, pastors, theologians, and caregivers in responding to this ongoing and tragic humanitarian crisis.听

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And even as we savor this lingering summer sweetness, anticipation is growing for the arrival of fall.. The staff, faculty, and student leadership at 天美视频 are deep in the work of preparing for the coming school year, planning events to welcome and orient new and returning students into our learning community!

The Student & Academic Services Team is here to support our incoming students as you prepare to begin school this fall. We will be your hosts for New Student Orientation, and will continue to journey with you throughout your degree program.

Becca Shirley, Manager of Student Life Programs, she/her (rshirley@theseattleschool.edu). You will hear from me about details related to New Student Orientation as well as community-wide gatherings, such as our fall Community Weekend and other student life events throughout the year. I work with our student leadership teams to cultivate pathways of connection for students and your families. I also work with our underrepresented student groups to provide resources, support, and connections for our underrepresented students (BIPOC students, LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, non-Christian students, international students, etc.). I am available for one-to-one conversation on campus or on Zoom whenever you have questions or concerns or need someone to talk to. I also manage the Nourish Market campus store and am available there on a regular basis.

Ligaya Good Avila, Academic Programs and Financial Services Manager, she/her (lavila@theseattleschool.edu)

Ligaya is the primary point of contact for manages Financial Aid for all students, and is available to help with any financial questions. (low-residency and on campus). Ligaya is also the Residency Coordinator for low-residency students. If you鈥檙e enrolled in a low-residency program, you will receive emails from Ligaya ahead of each residency with information to help you plan logistics for your travel, schedule, and lodging.

Mac Martin, Academic Advisor, she/her (mmartin@theseattleschool.edu)听

Mac is available to discuss course planning and scheduling throughout your time at 天美视频. She is here to make sure you are on the path that is best for you!

Daniel Tidwell-Davis, Manager of Accessibility and Vocational Programs, he/they (dtidwell@theseattleschool.edu)

Daniel works one-to-one with students around licensure, vocational discernment, accessibility, and academic accommodations. If you have an academic accommodation related to a learning or physical disability and have not yet talked to Daniel, make sure to with him soon!

Kelsey Wallace, Registrar, she/her (kwallace@theseattleschool.edu)

Many of you have likely been in touch with Kelsey as you have enrolled and begun registering for classes. Email Kelsey if you have questions related to forms, academic policies, course planning, or school/life balance. .

Altogether, the Student & Academic Services team (affectionately known as SAS) works to ensure that students are holistically and equitably supported as they engage in their learning at 天美视频. Students who have a question or concerns can reach out to any SAS team member and we will be glad to help you find what you are looking for.

We are so glad you are here! And we look forward to seeing you soon!

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Walking into the red brick building that housed 天美视频 during my first residency was like stepping into a sea breeze that awakened my senses, drew me in, and welcomed me into a new place of belonging. In a playful and expansive way, like the sandy beach extending to the ocean, I felt invited to open my arms out wide, take up space, and fully be me. I have often felt divided within myself in different spaces: where I live, work, worship, and play, but during my first residency at 天美视频, a sense of settledness came over me. It was like my body was finally able to let down, exhale, and breathe deeply. I felt welcomed into a learning space where I could bring all the different parts of me.

A theme of belonging has been woven throughout all the different residencies I’ve attended, and each one has consistently invited me to learn with it rather than from it. I felt invited to learn with my professors, faculty, and facilitators as I engaged with the readings, lectures, panels, and discussions. I felt invited to learn with my cohort as I allowed myself to be shaped and impacted by differences, discourse, and alignment. I felt invited to learn with myself and what was coming up for me, as I engaged with course material and what was happening in the room. And lastly, I felt invited to be with the moment when something shifted inside of me and opened me up to聽more.

I found my people at 天美视频, and those relationships wouldn’t have fully formed without the hospitality and embodied learning that came through residency. In Henri Nouwen鈥檚 book Reaching Out (1996), he states, “Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them a space where change can take place.”聽聽Residency offered space for those longer conversations to take place over lunch or late into the night. Residency offered space for strangers to become friends. Residency offered space for a knowing to be passed through shared laughter, tears, stories, and collaborative learning. All of this knowing happened in a physical place that felt like a sacred container with the capacity to hold all the complexities that come with this work.

So why does residency matter? It matters because, for low-residency students, residency provides a place, location, and physical learning space to house belonging and change. When each student, faculty member, guest lecturer, Student & Academic Services team member, and every person who makes residency possible shows up as themselves, I believe something is uniquely created in that space, for that particular time, for one another. Human connection in the learning journey of graduate school cannot be undervalued or underestimated in its significance. Human connection may feel difficult to measure and pin down into words, but its genuine value will show up in our future work, in how we sit with others, and in the unfolding of who we are.

photo credit: Becca Shirley

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Here are some highlights:

• pre-day event
• Our friend and previous board member of 天美视频, Brian McLaren, will be leading multiple sessions and one on his new book Life After Doom.
• Ruby Sales, a public theologian, historian, activist, social critic, and educator, will be there speaking on “Saving Our Democracy.”

Our faculty will be presenting:

• On Purity Culture: Moving from Rage-Journaling to Public Scholarship with Lauren D. Sawyer, PhD. Join Lauren D. Sawyer, PhD, to discuss, discover, and co-create ways to move from private 鈥渞age-journaling鈥� to crafting articles, poems, or creative non-fiction essays for a public audience.
• Eucontamination: Disgust Theology, Queerness, and the Church with Paul Hoard, PhD, and Billie Hoard. Join brother-sister duo, Paul and Billie Hoard, as they unpack how the logic of disgust has left the church vulnerable to homophobic, transphobic, and racist Christian nationalism. Explore an alternative perspective, Eucontamination, 鈥渃ontamination for good,鈥� where Queerness acts as a force helping fellow Christians to recognize the full Body of Christ.
• Board Games and Liturgy: The Thin Space of Play with Paul Hoard, PhD. This play-filled experience explores the intersections of games, liturgy, and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory. Games provide a fascinating exploration into the nature of reality, how we encounter the other within ourselves and across the table, as well as powerful moments of rupture and repair within our lives. Participants will be invited to engage in play and reflect upon the psychological and theological implications of the captivating nature of play.

Plus, stop by 天美视频 table at the event to learn more about our opportunities and receive special discounts on our programs and resources.

!

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In spring 2024, the BIPOC, Access (students with neurodiversity, chronic pain, and/or disability), LGBTQIA+, and QT BIPOC student groups collaborated to create an on-campus art show with the theme of 鈥淟iminality.鈥澛� 天美视频 students and alumni who identify as underrepresented within the context of 天美视频 and/or within their profession had the opportunity to share their artistic and creative work together. The concept of the Underrepresented Voices art gallery began in 2023 when student groups co-sponsored the inaugural show.

Organizers described this year鈥檚 theme: 鈥�鈥楲iminality鈥� could be as broad as anything you, as an underrepresented student, would like to express about yourself. Or, it could be as specific as invisibility, minoritized experiences, subjugated knowledge, or beauty in the margins, the sacred mystery in your culture or identity, etc.鈥� In addition to representing the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, QT BIPOC, and Access student groups, the students who participated were also representative of the three degree programs: Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (MACP), Master of Arts in Theology & Culture (MATC), and Master of Divinity (MDiv).听

As artist Roy Mong commented, the diversity expressed within the 鈥淟iminality鈥� show extended to the wide variety of media and art forms represented as well.听 Artists displayed works with acrylic paint, oil paint, oil pastels, gold leaf, watercolors, cardboard, wood, and various fabrics. Some of the pieces in the show had been created as final projects for the Winter 2024 course titled 鈥淣arrative, Identity & Asian American Experiences,鈥� taught by Dr. Jermaine Ma.

The 鈥淟iminality鈥� show launched during spring residency, and the artists had the opportunity on Friday afternoon to share their experiences and insights with their classmates, both related to making the pieces as well as sharing them publicly. Students discussed themes such as courage and vulnerability. Artists shared their anxieties about visible imperfections, and wrestling with the felt need to justify or explain their work. They also described how they challenged themselves and learned through the creative process from exploring cultural identities to understanding and practicing new techniques. For example, Sunghee Kim used watercolor painting to display Jo-kak-bo, a traditional Korean patchwork technique, and Ryan Ho shaped bass and walnut wood into Kumiko patterns, a Japanese art style from the 7th century. Roy Mong described how the use of different colors helped him to integrate and appreciate different aspects of himself and his experiences.

Inspiration was another theme. The 2023 gallery had encouraged this year鈥檚 artists: in seeing the work of others they were inspired to share their work as well, to continue inspiration and conversation for future generations of students. The 2024 show also continued the themes of collaboration and engagement: two artists invited interaction and responses through a QR code while other artists invited sensory engagement through touch. Students at the reception expressed their gratitude and wonder to the artists for the depth of expansion and interconnection with the works.

Another theme that emerged was how uniqueness and individuality were expressed within the diversity of the art and media on display in the gallery. 鈥淏y being significantly and uniquely you, you can encourage and uplift others. You are helping further the conversation,鈥� said Roy Mong. As in 2023, belonging emerged as a theme as well. Natalie Ng described feeling 鈥�Not Chinese enough. Not white enough鈥ith liminality, I鈥檝e learned to somehow embrace it and be ok in the uncomfortable spots.鈥� Describing liminality, Mong shared, 鈥淭he edge is where you live.鈥� 鈥淢aking the unseen seen is the whole point of the gallery,鈥� said Ng.

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This year鈥檚 students showcased two types of scholarly work, both deeply integrative in nature. Integrative Projects explore a question that haunts the student, engaged through research, reading, and conversations with peers and faculty. Integrative Portfolios present a collection of a student’s work that includes reflection on their vocational goals and integration of their learning in the classroom and in their field study experiences. Both represent a culmination of students鈥� engagement over the course of the program, with each student鈥檚 distinctive embodiment of text, soul, and culture.听

At this annual symposium, 天美视频鈥檚 alumni, current students, faculty, staff, and the Seattle community at large were invited to witness and celebrate the bold, thoughtful, and creative work of our graduating theology students, work that can be glimpsed in the abstracts and videos below, listed in alphabetical order by last name. In the coming months, final drafts of each Integrative Project will be available in 天美视频鈥檚 library.

Chris Curia, MATC: Community Development 2024

A Liberatory Horizon: Reimagining an Equitable Mental Healthcare Landscape

Abstract

Alex Grodkiewicz, MATC: Ministry

From Mastery to Play: Losing Control of God

Abstract

Holly Greenidge, MDiv 2024

Redefining Church Vitality: An Integrative Approach聽

Abstract

Kenna Hight, MDiv 2024

Fearful, Fearful, We Adore Thee: Reconstructing Existential Fear

Abstract

April Little, MATC: Community Development

Reflections and Reclamations: A Creative Writing Workshop for LGBTQ+ Christian Youth

Abstract

Haley Mayer, MATC: The Arts

Lament and Healing: A Personal Journey Through Lamentation, Reflection, and Reconstruction

[no video]

Abstract

Emily Poulain, MATC: Community Development 2024

Let Go, Sink In: A Pursuit of Wholeness Through Communal Lament

Abstract

Rachael Proulx, MATC: The Arts 2024

Death to Life: A Reimagining of the Valley of the Dry Bones

Abstract

Danielle Riley, MATC: Community Development 2024

Towards Belonging: Cultivating Places of Belonging and On Being the Church in Our Communities

Abstract

Carson Taylor, MATC 2024

From Walls to Welcome: Deconstructing and Reimagining Community Care for People with Severe Mental Illness.听

Abstract

Robert Zint, MATC: Ministry 2024

From Pulpit to Podcast: Storytelling about the Art of Paying Attention

Abstract

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