Divinity School

The work of Nashville artists Joon Powell, Bill Steber, Dawn Majors and John Partipilo is featured in a new exhibit at Vanderbilt Divinity School titled “Nashville: A Pandemic Observed.” Students and community members will have the opportunity to attend a gallery talk featuring the artists and Vanderbilt scholars on Tuesday, March 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. Read More

Vanderbilt University has received a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help Vanderbilt Divinity School establish a project focused on educating pastoral leaders who are exploring alternative pathways in ministry, today and the future. Read More

The Rev. Teresa L. Smallwood, who helped launch Vanderbilt’s Public Theology and Racial Justice Collaborative as associate director in 2017, is moving to Pennsylvania’s United Lutheran Seminary in January. Over Smallwood’s four years at Vanderbilt Divinity School, the Collaborative has hosted nearly 30 workshops and more than 20 fellows and scholars to advance racial justice in areas ranging from medical apartheid to food equity. Read More

Rather than allowing faith to fracture our politics, it should be used as a guiding force to help unify our communities, said former two-term Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam in a virtual discussion on May 25 with Vanderbilt Divinity School Dean Rev. Emilie Townes and author and political columnist Peter Wehner. Read More

Vanderbilt’s partnership with the recently opened National Museum of African American Music promises the potential of community-building discussions involving music, race, history and storytelling. Read More

On Thursday, April 8, the Vanderbilt Divinity School will host the first of three panel discussions focused on exploring the experience of Asian and Asian American people. Read More

The Rev. James Lawson, a civil rights icon and Vanderbilt University distinguished professor, emeritus, has received the prestigious NAACP Chairman’s Award, which recognizes individuals who demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change. Read More

People of different religious traditions interpret the Bible differently, but what did those passages originally mean? Professor Amy-Jill Levine explores this in her latest book, "The Bible with and Without Jesus." Read More

Examining economies through the lens of Christianity could highlight ways economic structures can be redesigned to better align with Christian values, according to research by Distinguished Professor of Theology Joerg Rieger. Read More

The co-editors of "The Black Trans Prayer Book," an interfaith collection of stories, poems, prayers, meditations and more about the experiences of trans and nonbinary Black people, were the featured guests during a two-day virtual event hosted by the Vanderbilt community. Read More

A two-day virtual event Feb. 18–19 hosted by the Vanderbilt community will feature the creators of "The Black Trans Prayer Book," an interfaith collection of stories, poems, prayers, meditations and more about the experiences of Black trans and nonbinary people. Read More

Pain, healing and resilience are themes woven into Nashville artist Ashley Mintz’s new online exhibit supported by Vanderbilt Divinity School. The visual collection, "Resilient Souls: We Rest Then We Rise," will run in a fully virtual format Feb. 1–March 12 in celebration and reflection of Black History Month. Read More

Michael Eric Dyson, a globally renowned scholar of race, religion and contemporary culture, will join Vanderbilt as Centennial Chair and University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Science and University Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society in the Divinity School on Jan. 1, 2021. Read More

The university has scheduled additional listening sessions for staff next week to provide a space for discussion about how Vanderbilt can meaningfully respond and take tangible next steps for action in the wake of George Floyd’s death and subsequent protests for racial justice in a number of cities. Read More

Join Vanderbilt Divinity School and local and regional community members for a series of virtual conversations to process, organize and act. All who are committed to listening, learning and organizing for action are welcome to attend. Read More

This fall Vanderbilt welcomed its newest faculty members to campus, and their impact is already being felt, both in the classroom and through their wide-ranging research. Read More

Every single member of our diverse community, from the oldest alumni to the newest admitted students, contributes a vital part to our core mission. We are united by a distinct set of values. That’s why we are a university, not a poly-versity. We stand together. We are one Vanderbilt. Read More

Dale P. Andrews, a teacher, minister, social justice activist, and renowned scholar on the art of preaching, died June 23 in Nashville of cancer. He was 55. Read More

Vanderbilt Divinity School received a $1 million grant from the Henry Luce Foundation last December to establish the Public Theology and Racial Justice Collaborative. Dean Emilie M. Townes is serving as the project’s director. Read More

As part of Black History Month, Vanderbilt’s basketball teams suited up in specially made jerseys for their winning games on Feb. 18 and 19. The back of each uniform featured the name of an individual who played an influential role in the civil rights movement. Read More