STH case statement

FAITH IN THE FUTURE: THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

How you can help transform theological education and spiritual leadership

THE VISION THAT GUIDES US

Thank you for your interest in supporting the Boston University School of Theology. As we look to the future, we seek to strengthen the school’s identity as a global, visionary, and public leader—particularly in the face of shifting educational and religious landscapes.

With your support, we will lead the way in research, teaching, and leadership formation; cultivate transformational leaders who balance knowledge and tradition with innovation and compassionate listening; and model a commitment to seek peace with justice in a diverse and interconnected world. To meet these goals, we have set five strategic priorities:

• Transformative research: As a school embedded in a major research university, STH will lead in theological and religious inquiries that exemplify excellent scholarship, research ethics, innovation, and practical applications amid changing academic, ecclesial, and social contexts.

• Innovative, responsive teaching and programs: We will model creative practices, programs, and partnerships that cultivate transformational leaders in a changing world.

• Commitment to racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion: We will hold ourselves accountable and distinguish STH as a theological leader in addressing systemic inequalities and injustice through our policies, teaching, and community engagement.

• Increased access through more flexible curricular offerings: We will pursue strategic hybrid and/or online offerings to make excellent theological education and formational communities more accessible and affordable for increasingly diverse audiences.

• Strong, hospitable infrastructure: We will strengthen administrative structures to secure keystone programs and faculty lines while amplifying our commitments to hospitality, accessibility, and ecological justice.

SPOTLIGHT Religion & Conflict Transformation: Moving through discord to a better world

“We see conflict as a natural part of human life together,” says James McCarty, director of the Tom Porter Religion & Conflict Transformation Program (RCT). “And when engaged well it can be transformational—it can bring about a new world where we better live the values we and our faith traditions profess.”

RCT focuses on five key areas of study and practice: conflict studies, trauma healing, restorative justice, human security, and the spiritual formation of peacebuilders. The program attracts students

in both degree and non-degree programs, as well as ministers and other professionals; students who complete the program earn a certificate offered in partnership with the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium (BTI). The program includes one required course, The Spirit and Art of Conflict Transformation, as well as opportunities for students to deepen their skills in self-reflection. Just as important as the formal instruction is the learning that takes place outside the classroom. Students serve as interns in community organizations, learn from visiting practitioners in the field, and travel to areas of conflict

to explore how different cultural contexts affect the work of bringing people together in greater mutual understanding.

“We say ‘conflict transformation’ rather than ‘conflict resolution’ because not all conflict is fully resolved,” McCarty says. “Theologically, we’re interested in the values, practices, and procedures that enable ongoing transformation toward a peace that does justice. Our mission is to prepare religious and other community leaders to become a resource for such transformation in a multicultural, multifaith world. We see this as sacred work.”

INNOVATION, ANCHORED IN TRADITION

Dean G. Sujin Pak came to STH in 2021. Here, she discusses her vision for the school.

How would you describe the School of Theology you hope to lead?

Hospitable. Invitational. Real. My hope is that the school will be rooted in its own traditions and robustly engage other religious traditions with humility, hospitality, and a true posture of listening and co-learning. STH is a United Methodist–affiliated theological school, and it is ecumenical (welcoming a variety of Christian perspectives), and it holds interfaith commitments (welcoming a variety of religious perspectives). I’d love STH to be a place that models one way, if not a leading way, of honoring traditions and being innovative, both rooted in a particular identity and steeped in practices of interfaith hospitality—a place that both critically appropriates traditions (plural!) and seeks to decenter dominant narratives in order to foster real space for diverse engagements and diverse embodiments.

How does the school’s Methodist tradition play out today?

Our Methodist roots, our Communities of Learning (COLs), and our partnerships with a variety of local and regional churches and nonprofit organizations provide important tethers and spaces of mutual learning that help STH keep its ear to the ground as to the needs of religious leaders and the changing landscapes in which they will be serving. These connections strengthen STH’s solid sense of what’s really happening out there.

That’s a key consideration as we rethink our curriculum. We need to be preparing ministers for the ministry

of today. What kind of vocations are people actually pursuing, and what jobs are they getting? What are the skills, training, and knowledge they need to be ready for this work? I believe STH’s distinctive gifts in religion and conflict training, chaplaincy preparation, and spiritual care all deeply prepare religious leaders for the work they are called to today. My hope is that STH will equip multiple forms of leadership, including denominational ministers and pastors for congregational ministry as well as many forms of non-parish leadership such as chaplains, community organizers, and social workers.

What other strengths do you hope to build on?

STH has a proud legacy of being the “School of the Prophets.” Social justice is and has been at the core of our identity, evident in our alumni past and present. In addition to the religion and conflict, chaplaincy, and spiritual care programs, I hope to build upon the school’s leadership in ecological justice, Latinx ministries and programs, gender and queer studies, and global engagement—seen, for example, in our travel seminars and projects such as the Chinese Historical Christian Database and the Dictionary of African Christian Biographies. How do we embody a spirit of hospitality in discussing the challenging conflicts that face us today? What does it look like to hold stated convictions and yet not be hostile to other views?

Our diverse faculty is another core strength. STH’s faculty members are doing such amazing things, and I’m seeking to make their incredible contributions even more visible.

For example, we plan to launch a colloquium that will highlight the research of our faculty and invite external scholars to foster a space of rich collaboration on an interdisciplinary theme, such as religion and science, faith and ecological justice, trauma-responsive care, theology and the arts, the Bible and race, queer studies in theology and religion, chaplaincy, comparative religions, and many more.

Can you say more about what you mean by “the ministry of today”? Many are disillusioned with religion today, particularly institutionalized religion. Indeed, they may be suspicious of institutions and traditions. Yet, I think many still seek God in some way, and many care deeply about spirituality.

I believe most of us are looking for real community. Ministry today needs to tap into these deeper human needs of care, community, spirituality, and connection. STH provides beautiful resources, conversation partners, and a variety of possible frameworks to reimagine ministry and reimagine religious leadership. If someone is seeking to deepen their connection to certain traditions, we have the tools to do that. If someone is looking for innovative pathways and a space to reimagine beyond traditional frameworks, we have the tools to do that. STH offers a space to explore spiritual questions, a community that fosters co-learning, and a curriculum that offers a multiplicity of resources to ask deep questions, discern gifts, and receive equipping for a diversity of religious vocations.

HOW YOU CAN HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE AT STH

Thank you for your interest in supporting the mission of the School of Theology. Your engagement makes a real difference every day.

HELP BUILD OUR FACULTY. Endowed professorships help us recruit and retain outstanding faculty—the researchers and teachers who will build the STH of tomorrow. We also seek additional postdoctoral fellowships and support for our PhD candidates, the faculty of tomorrow. We are happy to discuss different levels of giving for professorships and fellowships.

SUPPORT OUR RESEARCH. Your gift can help support faculty research, writing, curriculum development, and other projects that are critical to maintaining innovation. Or, with a gift to a graduate research fund, you can help students collaborate in faculty-mentored research and participate in research conferences, preparing students on the MDiv track for a first faculty appointment.

HELP US MAKE EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE. Scholarships are essential in order to open our doors to the widest possible range of excellent students, regardless of means. In addition, we continue to explore hybrid and fully online options as a way of increasing access for candidates who could not otherwise pursue an STH education. In both of these efforts, your support can change the lives of deserving students.

SUPPORT OUR WORK FOR JUSTICE AND EQUITY. Financial aid also increases access to STH for excellent candidates from diverse communities, many of whom come with significant undergraduate debt and will likely earn only modest incomes after graduation. You can also support our work toward a more just and equitable world with a gift to any of our programs that focus on these essential goals.

Boston University’s strategic vision for the next decade, finalized in 2021, focuses on five strategic priorities:

1 A Vibrant Academic Experience

2 Research that Matters

3 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion