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Seminary News
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Hartford
Seminary Faculty in the News
Yehezkel Landau
 In June, 2008, Yehezkel Landau taught Building Abrahamic Partnerships and an advanced Building Abrahamic Partnerships II course. Thirty-two students were in BAP I, 20 in BAP II.
Hartford Seminary, building on its strengths as an interfaith, dialogical school of practical theology, has designed BAP to be a resource for Jews, Christians, and Muslims who seek a solid foundation in interfaith ministry.
Meanwhile, efforts are continuing to offer BAP orientation seminars at other seminaries, with the aim of offering one-day orientation seminars on our program -- its goals, challenges, methodologies, and results. The idea is to have an Abrahamic trio from the BAP teaching staff travel to a seminary, or a consortium of seminaries in a metropolitan area, to present the BAP model at a morning session, and then after a lunch break have a give-and-take based on the reactions of the teachers and administrators in attendance, exploring ways in which BAP could be replicated or adapted at their own institutions.
The BAP I course is partially subsidized by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. The BAP II course is partially subsidized by a grant from the Alan B. Slifka Foundation.
Uriah Kim 
Uriah Kim traveled to South Korea in May, 2008, to offer lectures at Yonsei University’s College of Theology in Seoul. Founded 125 years ago, Yonsei is the oldest and one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea.
Kim lectured on “Three David’s for Our Own Time” before an audience of 170 and “Uriah the Hittie” before an audience of 50. He also delivered two sermons at the chapel service at the university: “For Nothing” and “Will God Stand By You?”
Kim spent nine days in South Korea. It was his first time back in 32 years; he had left the country as a fourth grader.
As Israel Turns 60, American-Born Jew Hopes for Peace
Hartford Courant May 11, 2008
In this article, The Hartford Courant profiles Yehezkel Landau, faculty associate for interfaith relations. Yehezkel speaks of his conviction that only a major change in direction will ensure a peaceful future for Israel. The article describes Yehezkel's personal activism as a peacemaker and his work to prepare others to be peacemakers.
At the 2007 conference of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature in San Diego, one session focused on the work of Uriah Kim, Professor of Hebrew Bible. It is unusual for an entire session to focus on a single scholar's work. The 90-minute program was titled "Asian and Asian-American Hermeneutics." The theme was "Panel Review of Uriah Kim's Decolonizing Josiah: Toward a Postcolonial Reading of the Deuteronomisitc History (Sheffield Phoenix, 2006)." Panelists were: Lai Ling E. Ngan, Baylor University, Presiding; Gina Hens-Piazza, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley; Frank Yamada, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary; Niels Lemche, University of Copenhagen; and Jane Iwamura, University of Southern California. Dr. Kim was the respondent.
Scott Thumma and Dave Travis have just published a new book! Beyond Megachurch Myth: What We Can Learn from America's Largest Churches, explores the megachurch phenomena and the common misconceptions that follow them. On sale now at our book store!
Ingrid Mattson Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations, as well as Director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program, President, Islamic Society of North America was featured "On Faith". On Faith is an interactive conversation on religion moderated by Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. It is produced jointly by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com, as is PostGlobal, a conversation on international affairs.
Dr. Mattson was also featured in the January 1, 2007 Issue of Newsweek. The article discribes Ingrid's journey to becoming an ambassador for Islam in the West, preaching tolerance and understanding.
Social
Conflicts Challenge the Resilience of America’s Historic Denominations
Hartford Seminary Professors David
A. Roozen and James
R. Nieman are editors of the just released Church,
Identity, and Change: Theology and Denominational Structures in
Unsettled Times. The
book is an essential resource for those interested in the struggle of
the church in 21st century America.
Faculty Member
Edits Book on Gay Religion
Conflicts
over homosexuality and gay rights threaten to break apart
denominations. These heated theological and political debates have
obscured the fact that many gays are religiously active individuals.
Now
Scott Thumma, Professor of Sociology of Religion at Hartford Seminary,
has joined with Edward R. Gray, Visiting Assistant Professor of
Religion at Emory University, to edit a new book, “Gay
Religion,”
that is the first book to offer a straightforward presentation of the
spiritual lives, practices and expressions of gays, lesbians,
bisexuals and transgender individuals.
Faculty Members
Attend Major Nursi Symposium
Hartford
Seminary faculty and students were well represented at the 7th
International Bediuzzaman Symposium in Istanbul in October, which
focused on the work of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi.
Jane
I. Smith, Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations,
delivered one of two keynotes addresses on the opening day. Her talk
was titled “At the Heart of the Matter: Faith and Belief in the
Poetic Imagery of Said Nursi.”
Delivering
inaugural remarks at the opening session were Hadsell; Yehezkel
Landau, Faculty Associate in Interfaith Relations; and Colleen Keyes,
a Ph.D. student.
Serving
as chairs of conference sessions or delivering papers at the sessions
were: Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’, Professor of Islamic Studies and
Christian-Muslim Relations; Ian Markham, Dean of Hartford Seminary;
Hadsell, Keyes, Smith and Landau. Abu-Rabi’ chaired the closing
session.
The conference was
titled “Bringing Faith, Meaning and Peace to Life in a Multicultural
World: The Risale-I-Nur’s Approach.” The sponsor was the Istanbul
Foundation for Science and Culture. It was held from October 3 through
October 5.
Lively
Dialogue: Faculty Launch New Journal
Two faculty members at Hartford Seminary have begun a new journal, Conversations
in Religion and Theology, to shape the discourse in the fields
of theology and ethics.
Miriam Therese Winter Inducted into the Connecticut Women's Hall of
Fame
Miriam
Therese Winter, a Medical Mission Sister and Professor of Liturgy,
Worship, Spirituality and Feminist Studies at Hartford Seminary, was
inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame in a ceremony
on April 11th 2003.
2007-2008
Faculty Sabbatical Schedule
The following
faculty members will be on sabbatical:
| Spring
2008 |
Summer 2008 |
Fall 2008 |
| Scott Thumma |
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