Bessler,
Joseph, Ph.D.
Robert Travis Peake
Associate Professor
of Theology
- B.S., Northwestern University, 1979;
- M.A., Harvard University, 1984;
- Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1996.
(918) 610-8303
joe.bessler@ptstulsa.edu
With broad teaching and research interests in both historical studies of
Christian thought and contemporary methods of theological analysis and construction,
in recent years Dr. Bessler has offered courses including
Introduction to Theology, the Doctrine of God, Christology, the Doctrine of the Church,
Comparative Theologians, Constructive Theology, Law and Theological Ethics, and
Theological Themes in the Contemporary Novel.
Among his publications are "Becoming Langdon Gilkey: The
Theological Significance of Shantung Compound," in The Theology of
Langdon Gilkey,
ed. Jeff Pool and Kyle Pasewark (Macon: Mercer University Press, 1999), "The
Theological Risks of Taking Jesus Seriously," Forum (Fall 2001), "Truth as
Empire: A Problematic Metaphor in Christian Theology," Encounter
(Spring 2004),
and f Law and Theology: Cases
and Readings, co-edited with Martin Belsky of the University of Tulsa Law
School, forthcoming from Carolina Academic Press.
A lay theologian in the Roman Catholic Church who has contributed to
projects sponsored by the Westar Institute, Dr. Bessler is a member of
the American Academy of Religion and the Association of Disciples for
Theological Discussion. He joined the PTS faculty in 1992.
Bidwell, Duane R., Ph.D.
Assistant
Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care, and Counseling
- B.S., Texas Christian University, 1988;
- Licentiate in Spiritual Theology and Direction Anglican School of Theology, 1996;
- M.Div., Brite Divinity School, 1997;
- Ph.D., Brite Divinity School, 2003.
(918) 610-8303
duane.bidwell@ptstulsa.edu
A pastor, scholar, pastoral counselor and spiritual director, Dr. Bidwell
works in the communal-contextual and intercultural traditions of pastoral
theology, advocating a turn to spirituality and spiritual theology as a
source, norm, and criterion for the field. Having joined the PTS
faculty in 2007, courses offered in his first year include Care in the
Christian Community, Short-term Pastoral Counseling, Theology of the Cross
and Pastoral Care.
Dr. Bidwell is author of Short-Term Spiritual Guidance (2004) and
co-editor with Joretta Marshall of The Formation of Pastoral Counselors:
Opportunities and Challenges (2007). His chapters and journal
articles during the past three years include "Miraculous Knowing:
Epistemology and Solution-Focused Therapy," in Handbook of
Solution-focused Brief Therapy: Clinical Applications (2007);
"Formation Through Parallel Charting: Clinician Narratives and Group
Supervision," in The Formation of Pastoral Counselors (2007); "We
Will Be Changed: Resurrection and Grief," in Reflection on Grief
and Spiritual Growth (2005); "Working Miracles: Goaling for
Short-term Spiritual Care" in Healing Ministry (2005). His
current writing focuses on the nurture of authentic Christian hope in
children and on the empowerment of couples through narrative approaches to
spiritual care.
An ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Dr. Bidwell serves as vice president of the Southwest Region of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and assistant managing editor of The Journal of Pastoral Theology. He is a member of the Society for Pastoral Theology, the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, the American Academy of Religion, the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality, the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, and Spiritual Directors International. He also serves at PTS as Director of Presbyterian Ministerial Formation.
Blue, Ellen, Ph.D.
Mouzon Biggs, Jr. Associate Professor of the History
of Christianity and United Methodist Studies
- B.S., University of Louisiana, Monroe, 1980;
- M.A., University of Louisiana, Monroe, 1989;
- M.Div., Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, 1995;
- Ph.D., Tulane University, 2002.
(918) 610-8303
ellen.blue@ptstulsa.edu
Dr. Blue was awarded a Lilly Faculty Fellowship for 2008-09 by the Association of Theological Schools for her sabbatical project, “In Case of Katrina: Reinventing the United Methodist Church in Post-Katrina Louisiana.” The project is an outgrowth of her course, “The Church’s Response to Katrina,” which takes Phillips students to Louisiana to explore churches’ re-evaluation of their mission in light of devastation to property and the scattering of congregants.
Her book, Attentive to God: Thinking Theologically in Ministry, co-authored with Charles Wood and published by Abingdon in 2008, stems from her interest in connecting theological education with ministerial practice. She teaches History of Christianity and United Methodist Studies courses; other offerings include Women and Religion in America, Issues for Women in Christian Ministry and Christianity in Latin America.
Dr. Blue is currently completing Rampart Street Reformers: The Social Gospel and Civil Rights in New Orleans, which focuses on Methodist women’s history. Material from it has appeared in Methodist History; as a chapter, "The Citizens Forum on Integration: 'Underground' Methodist Response in New Orleans to the Brown decision," in New Orleans and Urban Louisiana, Samuel C. Shepherd, Jr., ed. (Lafayette: Center for Louisiana Studies, 2005); and as “True Methodist Women: Reflections on the Community at St. Mark’s, 1895-1939” in Louisiana Women: Their Lives and Times, Janet Allured, ed. (Univ. of Georgia Press, forthcoming, 2008).
An ordained elder in full connection with the Louisiana Conference of the
United Methodist Church and an experienced pastor, Dr. Blue has also
published "When Feminist Theology Becomes Practical Theology: Some
Reflections on Its Use in the Pastorate," Journal of Feminist Studies in
Religion (Fall 2001). She is a member of the American Academy of
Religion, American Society of Church History, Historical Society of the
United Methodist History, Southern Association of Women Historians, and
Southern Historical Association. She joined the PTS faculty in 2002.
Fraser, Mady,
D.Min.
Assistant Professor
of Spirituality
- B.S., Phillips University, 1970;
- M.Div., Brite Divinity School, 1987;
- D.Min., Phillips Theological Seminary, 2001.
(918) 610-8303
mady.fraser@ptstulsa.edu
Chaplain of Phillips Theological Seminary, Dr. Fraser's teaching and research
interests are in the field of Spirituality. In addition to a range of related courses,
including Celtic Christian Culture and Spirituality, Personal and Corporate
Disciplines of Spirituality, and Simple Living, in recent years she has also served as the primary instructor for the foundational course
in the M.Div. and M.A.M.C. degree programs, Introduction to Theological
Education for Ministry.
An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr.
Fraser has considerable experience in ecumenical campus ministry. She
joined the PTS faculty and staff in 1995.
Imbler, John,
S.T.M., D.D.
Associate Professor
of the History of Christianity and Disciples Studies
- B.A., Butler University, 1967;
- M.Div., Christian Theological Seminary, 1971;
- S.T.M., Christian Theological Seminary, 1981;
- D.D., Columbia College, 1987.
(918) 610-8303
john.imbler@ptstulsa.edu
A scholar of American Christianity, and especially the history of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), courses offered by Dr. Imbler in recent years have included the
Disciples History and Polity, Disciples Theology, Christianity in the United States, and New Religious Movements.
Among his publications are Beyond Buffalo: Alexander Campbell on Education for Ministry (Nashville: Disciples of Christ Historical Society, 1992),
Discerning the Call: Advancing the Quality of Ordained Leadership, co-edited with Linda Plengemeier (St. Louis: Chalice Press,
1992), “Disciples of Christ Colleges, Universities, and Seminaries,” in Religious Higher Education in the United States: A Source Book, ed. Thomas Hunt and James Carper (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1996),
"The Louisville Plan," in the
Stone-Campbell Encyclopedia, ed. Douglas A. Foster, et. al. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005), and numerous book reviews. He is currently working on the centennial history of Phillips Theological Seminary for the celebration in 2007.
An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr. Imbler serves on the denomination’s General Commission of Ministry, as well as the regional commissions on the clergy of Kansas and Oklahoma. Executive Vice President of PTS, he is also the seminary’s director of Disciples of Christ ministerial formation. A member of the American Academy of Religion, the American Association for Higher Education, and the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, he joined the
PTS faculty in 1993.
W. Anne Joh,
Ph.D.
Assistant
Professor of Theology
- B.A., North Central College, 1989;
- M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary, 1992;
- M.Phil., Drew University, 2000;
- Ph.D., Drew University, 2003;
- Postdoctoral Fellow in Theology, Fordham University, 2004-2005.
(918) 610-8303
anne.joh@ptstulsa.edu
|
Dr. Joh’s research and teaching interests are at the intersections of feminist/womanist theology, postcolonial and poststructural theory, critical race theory and cultural studies. Her latest research areas include feminist postcolonial Christology, theological anthropology, race and sexuality, religion and transnational feminism/s, postcoloniality and bio-politics of empire, issues of citizenship, human rights and immigration. Her recent course offerings include: Introduction to Theology, Christology, Theology of Paul Tillich, Feminist Theology, Doctrine of Spirit, Liberation Theology, and Postcoloniality and Theological Reflections. Author of Heart of the Cross: A Postcolonial Christology. (Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), Dr. Joh's articles include, "Violence and Asian American Experience: From Abjection to Jeong" in Off the Menu: Asian and Asian North American Women's Theology and Religion, ed. Kwok Pui-lan, Rita Nakashima Brock, Seung-Ai Yang and Jang Ha Kim (Westminster John Knox Press, 2007); "The Transgressive Power of Jeong: A Postcolonial Hybridization of Christology," in Postcolonial Theologies: Divinity and Empire, ed. Catherine Keller, et. al. (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2004). "Relating to Household Labor Justly," in Justice In A Global Economy: Strategies For Home, Community, and World, ed. Pamela Brubaker, et. al., (Westminster John Knox Press, 2006). Her current project is In Proximity to the Other: A Postcolonial Theological Anthropology (forthcoming from Westminster John Knox Press). Professor Joh is a lay leader in the United Methodist Church, and a recipient during her doctoral program of a Women of Color Scholarship from the United Methodist Board of Higher Education. She is Editorial Consultant for the Emerging Theology Initiative Series for Westminster John Knox Press. She is member of the Workgroup on Constructive Theology. As a member of the American Academy of Religion, she is Co-Chair of Asian North American Religion, Culture and Society Group and Co-chair for Bible, Theology, and Postmodernity Group. Dr. Joh joined the PTS faculty in July 2005. |
Kunz, Sandra Costen, Ph.D.
Assistant
Professor of Educational Ministries
- B.A., Vanderbilt University, 1973;
- M.A.T., The College of New Jersey, 1979:
- M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary, 1998;
- Certificate in Leading Contemplative Retreats and Prayer Groups, Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, 2004;
- Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, Completed 2007.
(918) 610-8303
sandra.kunz@ptstulsa.edu
Dr. Kunz teaches Christian education with an emphasis on spiritual
discernment. Her goal is to guide students to teach Christian
spiritual practices that support social engagement after the pattern of
Jesus' ministry. Her research draws upon the neurophysiology of
learning, peace studies, mission studies, nonwestern biblical studies, and
nonwestern educational and spiritual practices. The intersection of
Bible study with drama, prayer and meditation is vital to her scholarship.
Courses offered in her first year include Educational Dimensions of
Ministry, the History of Christian Spirituality, and Spirituality and Social
Action.
Dr. Kunz has published "Imagination and the Discernment of Nonviolent
Solutions to Problems of Injustice: Possible Applications of the Work
of James Loder to Public Peace Education," in Studies in Reformed
Theology: Christian Faith and Violence. As a member of these
groups, she has presented papers to the American Academy of Religion, the
Metanexus Institute on Science and Religion, the Society for
Buddhist-Christian Studies, and the Yale-Edinburgh Group on the History of
the Missionary Movement and Nonwestern Christianity. She is also a
member of the Religious Education Association.
A lay leader in the Episcopal Church, Dr. Kunz joined the PTS faculty in 2007.
Lowery, Rick,
Ph.D.
Johnnie Eargle Cadieux
Professor of Hebrew Bible
- B.A., University of Tennessee, 1979;
- M.Div., Yale University, 1982;
- M.A., Yale University, 1983;
- M.Phil., Yale University, 1986;
- Ph.D., Yale University, 1989.
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(918) 610-8303
rick.lowery@ptstulsa.edu
A scholar of the texts and traditions of ancient Israel, Dr. Lowery is also a practical theologian concerned with the church’s contemporary mission in the world. In recent years, he has offered Biblical Hebrew I and II, Hebrew Readings, Introduction to the Old Testament, Latter Prophets and Writings, Wisdom Literature, Overcoming Violence, and Biblical Metaphors in a Democratic World.
Among his numerous publications are three books, The Reforming Kings: Cult and Society in First Temple Judah (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1991), Revelation: Hope for the World in Troubled Times (Elgin: Brethren Press, 1994), and Sabbath and Jubilee (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2000). His current projects include a book on biblical faith and human rights in the age of democracy.
Past president of the Southwest Region of the Society of Biblical Literature, Dr. Lowery is also a member of the Disciples Peace
Fellowship, Disciples Justice Action Network, Sabbath Economics Collaborative, and Association of Disciples for Theological Discussion.
An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he joined the faculty in 1992.
Northcutt, Kay
Lynn,
D.Min.
Assistant
Professor of Preaching and Worship
- B.M., Northwestern University, 1979;
- M.M., University of Oklahoma, 1982;
- M.Div., University of Chicago, 1989;
- D.Min., Aquinas Institute, 2006
- Certificate in Spiritual Direction, Sojourn Training Center, 2005.
(918) 610-8303
kay.northcutt@ptstulsa.edu
Dr. Northcutt's primary teaching and research interests are in homiletics and worship. An accomplished pianist and much sought-after preacher and retreat leader, she regularly offers courses including Introduction to Preaching, Advanced Preaching Workshop, the Theory and Practice of Public Worship, and Seminar in Constructive Liturgy.
A recipient of three Associated Church Press writing awards, she has published Praying by Heart: Prayers for Personal Devotion and Public Worship (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 1998) and a number of articles including, among others, "August in Her Breast: Prayer as Embodiment," in Setting the Table: Women in Theological Conversation, ed. Rita Nakashima Brock, et. al. (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1995), "If You Seek Abundant Life Embrace Death," Disciple (March 1996), "The Best Way to Pray is to Stop," Disciple (May 1997), and "Ahoy! A Holy Glimpse," Criterion (Autumn 1992).
Dr. Northcutt is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who has served in the pastoral leadership of several congregations. Currently, she is a member of the International Bilateral Commission for Dialogue between the Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. She first joined the PTS faculty in 1998.
Peluso-Verdend,
Gary,
Ph.D.
Associate
Professor of Practical Theology
- B.A., Carroll College, 1977;
- M.Div., Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, 1981;
- Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1991.
(918) 610-8303
gary.peluso@ptstulsa.edu
A scholar in the field of Practical Theology, Dr. Peluso-Verdend's teaching and research interests are related to the study of congregational cultures and models for effective and transformative leadership within church and society. He has taught a wide range of practical theology courses, at PTS and elsewhere, at the master's and doctoral levels.
In addition to providing leadership for numerous church and professional workshops, his publications include "What is Lyle Schaller's Vision of the Church?," The Christian Century (January 27,1993), "The Crisis of Local and Regional Ecumenism," Mid-Stream (October 1993), Inquiring and Discerning Hearts: Vocation and Ministry with Young Adults on Campus, co-authored with Sam Potaro (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1993), "To Live or to Die In Battle: A Nineteenth Century Metaphor and Clergy Self-Care," Quarterly Review (Fall 1998), "How Many Churches Does It Take to Raise a Minister?," The Circuit Rider (January-February 2002), and Paying Attention: Focusing Your Congregation on What Matters, forthcoming from The Alban Institute.
Dr. Peluso-Verdend began serving PTS as Vice President of Stewardship in July 2005. An ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, he previously served as a member of regular faculty (1993-2000) and as dean (1997-2000).
Pittman, Don A.
Ph.D.
William Tabbernee Professor of the History of Religions
- B.A., Texas Christian University, 1970;
- M.Div., Vanderbilt University, 1973;
- M.A., Vanderbilt University, 1976;
- Ph. D., University of Chicago, 1987;
- Post-doctoral Studies, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, 1994-1995.
(918) 610-8303
don.pittman@ptstulsa.edu
Dr. Pittman's primary teaching and research interests are in the History of Religions, Buddhist Studies, Chinese Studies, cross-cultural and interfaith studies, and global Christianity. Courses offered over the last few years include Contemporary World Religions, Introduction to a Christian Theology of Religions, Jewish-Christian and Muslim-Christian Dialogue, and the PTS BorderLinks study tour.
His publications include Ministry and Theology in Global Perspective: Contemporary Challenges for the Church, co-edited with Ruben Habito and Terry Muck (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996) and
Toward a Modern Chinese Buddhism:
Taixu's Reforms (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2001), plus numerous scholarly articles (in English and Chinese), book reviews,
encyclopedia entries, and sermons.
A former missionary in Taiwan, Dr. Pittman is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He is member of the American Academy of Religion, the Association for Asian Studies, the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, and the Association of Disciples for Theological Discussion. Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Phillips Theological Seminary, and Chair of the Council on Theological Education of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he joined the PTS faculty in 2000.
Pittman,
Nancy Claire,
Ph.D.
Assistant
Professor of the Practice of Ministry
- B.A., Texas Christian University, 1979;
- M.Div., Brite Divinity School, TCU, 1984;
- Ph.D., Southern Methodist University, 1997.
(918) 610-8303
nancy.pittman@ptstulsa.edu
A New Testament scholar who serves as Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program, Dr. Pittman has broad teaching and research interests in biblical studies and pastoral theology. Her experience in ministry has included both seminary teaching and congregational leadership. She has served as Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies at Tainan Theological College and Seminary, Tainan, Taiwan—as a missionary appointed by the Common Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ—and, among other pastoral positions, most recently as Minister of First Christian Church, Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Although she joined the regular full-time faculty July 2005 in the Practice of Ministry, she has served since 2001 as an adjunct member of the faculty in New Testament and Preaching, offering courses such as The Gospel of John, Interpreting the Book of Revelation, Introduction to Preaching, and Preaching the Lectionary.
In addition to numerous sermons in books and journals, Dr. Pittman has published, among other articles, “The Epistolary Tradition: James, 1-3 John, 1-2 Peter, Jude,” in The Chalice Introduction to the New Testament, ed. Dennis E. Smith (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2004), “God’s Project: Effective Christians,” in The New International Lesson Annual 2004-2005, ed. Nan Duerling (Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2004), “Revealing Angel, Slain Lamb, Slaying Warrior: Christ in the Book of Revelation,” Leaven (Winter 2000), “A Look at Women in the Bible from a Feminist Perspective,” in Taiwan fu-nu zuo shen-xue (Women in Taiwan Doing Theology), (Tainan, Taiwan: Taiwan Church Press, 1998), and “Women Reading Women in the Bible,” in Setting the Table: Women in Theological Conversation, ed. Rita Nakashima Brock, et. al., (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1995). She is currently working on a book titled, Listening to John: An Exercise in Contextual Theology and Spirituality, a book which brings together her experiences in Taiwan and the Bread from Heaven discourse in John.
Dr. Pittman is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and an accredited spiritual director. She is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, Spiritual Directors International, the Association for Doctor of Ministry Education, and a founding member of the Forrest-Moss Institute.
Scott, B. Brandon,
Ph.D.
Darbeth
Distinguished Professor of New Testament
- B.A., St. Meinrad College, 1963;
- M.A., Miami University, 1968;
- Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, 1971.
(918) 610-8303
brandon.scott@ptstulsa.edu
Dr. Scott's scholarship has always been centered on questions concerning hermeneutics and the historical Jesus. A charter member of the Jesus Seminar, his course offerings in recent years have included New Testament Greek, Introduction to the New Testament, Romans, The Historical Jesus, Theological Issues in Film, and the PTS Borderlinks study tour.
He has written or co-written nine books, including the widely read Hear Then the Parables (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 1989), Re-Imagining the World: An Introduction to the Parables of Jesus (Santa Rosa: Polebridge Press, 2001), Hollywood Dreams and Biblical Stories (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1994), and Reading New Testament Greek (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993), co-authored with his former PTS students Margaret Dean, Kristen Sparks, and Francis LaZar. Among his current projects is a study of sound mapping, focusing on sound as the communication environment of the ancient world.
A United Church of Christ layman with a Catholic background, Dr.
Scott is a member of the American Academy of Religion, Catholic Biblical
Society, Societas Novi Testamenti Studiorum, and Society of Biblical
Literature, for which he serves as co-chair of its Bible in Ancient and
Modern Media section. He joined the PTS faculty in 1988.
Smith, Dennis E.,
Th.D.
LaDonna Kramer
Meinders Professor of
New Testament
- B.A., Abilene Christian University, 1967;
- M.A., Abilene Christian University, 1969;
- M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary, 1972;
- Th.D., Harvard University Divinity School, 1980.
(918) 610-8303
dennis.smith@ptstulsa.edu
With specialized research interests in the social world
of early Christianity, Dr. Smith is a recognized authority on ancient
Greco-Roman meal customs. His teaching centers on helping students explicate
and creatively appropriate biblical texts for varied aspects of ministry.
Regular course offerings include New Testament Greek, Introduction to the
New Testament, the Gospel of Luke, the Acts of the Apostles, Romans, the
Social World of Early Christianity, Storytelling in Ministry, and
other courses.
Major publications include: The Chalice Introduction to the New Testament
(St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2004), From Symposium to Eucharist: The
Banquet in the Early Christian World (Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
2003), Many Tables: The Eucharist in the New Testament and Liturgy Today
(London: SCM, 1990), several edited volumes of The Storyteller's
Companion to the Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990-1999), and
numerous articles and book reviews in scholarly journals.
An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr.
Smith is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, including
its seminar Meals in the Greco-Roman World, which he co-chairs; Westar
Institute's Acts Seminar, which he chairs; and the Association of Disciples
for Theological Discussion. He joined the PTS faculty in 1986.
Southard, Susanna Weslie Ph.D. Candidate
Instructor of
Hebrew Bible
- A.B., Washington University in St. Louis, 1985;
- M.Div., Southern Methodist University, 1989;
- M.A. in passing, Vanderbilt University, 2006;
- Ph.D. Candidate, Vanderbilt University.
(918) 610-8303
susanna.southard@ptstulsa.edu
With a passion for the Hebrew Bible, and especially for reader-oriented and
feminist approaches, professor Southard's current research focus is on
representations of time in Hebrew narrative. Her doctoral dissertation
is entitled, "Intersections of Time: Readings of Simultaneity in the
Book of Judges." She has taught courses in Introduction to the Hebrew
Bible, Biblical Hebrew, and Jeremiah.
Publications include the ancient Israel and ancient Arabia sections of the
Encyclopedia of Love, Courtship, and Sexuality (Greenwood Publishing,
forthcoming), contributions to the New Interpreter's Dictionary of the
Bible (2006, 2007), articles on Daniel (2006) and Jeremiah (2005) for
Disciples World, and "Ruth and Naomi" in the Encyclopedia of Religion,
2d ed. (Macmillan, 2005). Recent presentations include "Ruth"
at the South Central Jurisdictional Clergywoman's Consultation (UMC), "Like
Father, Like Son: the Levite in Micah's House" at the Central States
Regional SBL Meeting, 2006, "Woman to Woman: A Comparative Study of
Women's Status as Represented in Law Codes of Ancient Israel and Neighboring
Nations" at the SBL Annual Meeting, 2004, and "At Home in Babylon? An
Ideological/Rhetorical Consideration of Exodus 1" at the SBL Annual Meeting,
2003.
An ordained elder in full connection with the Kansas East Conference of the United Methodist Church with eleven years of full-time pastoral experience, Rev. Southard is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and Phi Beta Kappa. She received a Dempster Fellowship from the Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the UMC in 2003-04. She joined the PTS faculty in 2007.
Tabbernee, William,
Ph.D.
Stephen J.
England Distinguished Professor
of the History of Christianity
- T.P.T.C., Coburg Teachers' College, 1965;
- Dip.R.E., Melbourne College of Divinity, 1968;
- L.Th., Melbourne College of Divinity, 1968;
- Diploma in Ministry, College of the Bible, Melbourne, 1970;
- B.A. (Hons.), University of Melbourne, 1972;
- S.T.M., Yale University, 1973;
- Ph.D., University of Melbourne, 1979;
- D.D. (Honorary degree), Phillips University, 1993.
- Litt.D., University of Melbourne, 2002.
(918) 610-8303
william.tabbernee@ptstulsa.edu
William Tabbernee is ordained in the Churches of Christ in Australia, a denomination closely related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He is also a minister with standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Before coming to PTS, Dr. Tabbernee served as principal of the Churches of Christ Theological College in Australia, among other scholarly and administrative positions in Australia.
Dr. Tabbernee has served as president of Phillips Theological Seminary since 1991. In addition, he teaches Church History, specializing in the history of Christianity up to the Reformation. He also co-directs an archaeological surface survey in Turkey, along with Professor Peter Lampe of the University of Heidelberg, Germany. This joint PTS/University of Heidelberg project is exploring the ancient sites of settlements associated with an early Christian movement named Montanism.
Dr.
Tabbernee’s published works include Montanist
Inscriptions and Testimonia: Epigraphic Sources Illustrating the
History of Montanism (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1997)
and Fake Prophecy and Polluted
Sacraments: Ecclesiastical and Imperial Reactions to Montanism (Leiden:
Brill, 2007).
Pepouza and Tymion: The Discovery
and Archaeological Exploration of a Lost Ancient City and an Imperial Estate
in Phrygia, written with
Peter Lampe, is scheduled for publication in
April 2008
Dr. Tabbernee is a past president of the North American Patristics Society. He is also actively involved in ecumenical and interfaith activities. He was a member of the World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order for more than twenty years. He currently co-moderates the Disciples of Christ/Roman Catholic International Commission for Dialogue.
Thomas, John, D.Min.
Assistant Professor of Practical Theology
- B.A., Oral Roberts University, 1985;
- M.Div. Phillips Theological Seminary, 1991;
- D.Min. Phillips Theological Seminary, 2000;
- ACPE Certified Supervisor, 2000.
(918) 610-8303
john.thomas@ptstulsa.edu
A Certified Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) supervisor with extensive experience in the field, Dr. Thomas teaches master's level courses in Pastoral Care and Counseling and Practical Theology, Care in the Christian Community, Orientation to CPE, Reflections on Ministry Experiences, Leadership in Ministry, and Integrating the Theory and Practice of Ministry. At the doctoral level, he has offered Ministry Assessment and Case Study Reflection and Reflective Practicum on Practices of Being Church.
With special research interests at the intersection of practical theology and multicultural studies, he recently published "Cultural Typing: Another Pathway Toward Cultural Competence in Pastoral Care," American Journal of Pastoral Counseling (November 2003).
Dr. Thomas, an ordained minister in the National Baptist Convention who serves as Associate Dean of the seminary and also Director of the Supervised Ministries Program, joined the PTS faculty in 2000.