The Wabash Center's Dialogue On Teaching

Through arts based research methodology, the documentary Seeing the Future of the African American Church in the Rainbow: A Year in the Life of Real Inspirations Ministry was created. The documentary is complemented by a photo exhibit. R. Watkins is the photographer and videographer. Both pieces of artwork were created in pursuit of asking about Black religious expression and the place of LGBTQ pe...

The Rev. Dr. Daisy Machado is Emerita Faculty in Church History at Union Theological Seminary in New York and the Director of the Hispanic Summer Program. In this Silhouette Interview, she discusses her childhood dream of being a translator at the United Nations, rebellion out of Pentecostalism and into the Disciples of Christ, life-changing work at the southern border, the happiness that the teac...

Gregory Cuéllar, PhD is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Austen Presbyterian Theological Seminary. In this Silhouette Interview, Cuellar discusses the childhood dream of flying helicopters in the military, being a part of a long line of teachers, the importance of nurturing curiosity, the superpower of discernment, surviving violence by being savvy and ready with quick wit, and the miracle...

Marcia Y. Riggs, PhD is the J. Erskine Love Professor of Christian Ethics and Ombudsperson at Columbia Theological Seminary. In this Silhouette Podcast Interview, Riggs discusses wanting to be an artist who made statements with her art, the inspiration of Bell Hooks' "Teaching  Community: A Pedagogy of Hope," reinventing oneself in the classroom, the value of a position to help mana...

Dwight M. Hopkins, PhD is the Alexander Campbell Professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School. In this interview, Hopkins discusses his desire to be a writer as early as kindergarten, the freedom of the teaching life, the superpower of cross-cultural engagement, and the miracle of helping students realize that they much more than they think they are. 

Steed Davidson, Ph. D is Dean of the Faculty and Vice President of Academic Affairs and is Professor of Hebrew Bible / Old Testament at McCormick Theological Seminary. In this Silhouette Interview, Davidson discusses his childhood desire to be a meteorologist and the pride of his family in his profession. Also: surprise at the difficulty of the teaching life with its constant attention, the superp...

Lisa L. Thompson, Ph. D is Associate Professor and the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Black Homiletics and Liturgics, Homiletics and Liturgics at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Thompson discusses the childhood dream of being an OBGYN, rejecting the false dichotomy between scholarship and teaching, and the ways in which faculty can be punished for being good teachers.  Also: the superpowers...

Peter T. Cha, PhD is Professor of Church, Culture and Society at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Cha discusses his childhood desire to be an architect and how that love of design informs his teaching and class creation. He also talks about the demands of institutional citizenship, the superpower of distillation, and the joy of the 'aha' moments.

Rolf Jacobson is Professor of Old Testament and the Alvin N. Rogness Chair of Scripture, Theology, and Ministry at Luther Seminary.  In this Silhouette Interview, Jacobson discusses early thoughts of a career in finance, bafflement at the pace of technological and societal change, being a musician, dogged persistence of his students and colleagues in a world filled with violence, as well as the su...

Dr. Tina Pippin is the Wallace M. Alston Professor of Bible and Religion at Agnes Scott College. In this Silhouette Interview, Dr. Pippin talks about how she always wanted to be a teacher and was particularly inspired by teachers who pushed boundaries. She discusses being driven to connect the Word with the world, and in her fight for just wages, her superpower is the ability to show up and stand...

Rev. Dr. Stephen G. Ray is the Crump Visiting Professor and Black Religious Scholars Group Scholar-in-Residence at the Seminary of the Southwest.  Dr. Ray discusses longing, as a child, to do anything in the future that allowed him to read books, being an only child with the encyclopedia for a friend, and rebounding from an initial undergrad attempt where he had a .75 GPA. Ray also touches on mise...

What scholarly skills are transferrable to other enterprises? What does it mean to consider an executive position like a deanship or presidency?  How do I manage speaking engagements, book deals, and other kinds of opportunities? When should a LLC be established?

The Rev. Dr. Gay L. Byron is Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC.

Scholarly careers are not linear or tidy. Hear about helpful tools for career management like: creating a map/plan for tenure process and promotion (6 year plan), having more than one mentor, knowing when to leave the first job and when to stay, finding conversation partners for career decisions.

Silhouette Podcast Interview with Mary Hess, Professor of Educational Leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN.  

What is possible as you accept a new job? What kind of agency is needed to feel like you belong at hire? What does it mean to know your worth and value?

Learning to read institutional budgets, understand endowments, and be knowledgeable about financial reports will assist faculty persons. Being informed about your school’s financial picture is an aspect of personal wellness.

Healthy and career stability includes planning for the financial future and managing personal funds.  Understanding TIAA, investments, and estate planning is part of faculty wellness.

Miguel A. De La Torre is Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at Iliff School of Theology.  In this Silhouette Podcast Interview, De La Torre discusses what it means to have come from poverty, discovery of Liberation Theology, gratitude for political failure, and creative expression in the scholarly life. 

A Silhouette Interview with Mai-Anh Tran, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean with Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Silhouette Interview Podcast with Tat siong Benny Liew, Class of 1956 Professor of New Testament Studies at College of the Holy Cross

Silhouette Interview with Kenneth Ngwa of Drew University Theological School

Silhouette Interview with Mitzi Smith of Columbia Theological Seminary. 

Silhouette Podcast Interview with Elizabeth Conde-Frazier director of the Association for Hispanic Theological Education .

With or without our awareness, artificial intelligence routinely influences our classrooms. Chat GPT has brought new challenges to learning and assessment. How can Chat GPT become a tool of the course? What new practices will be needed to measure learning given students’ use of Chat GPT? What conversations can faculties convene to learn the nuances of this technology and how it impacts pedagogy? A...