the Year in review

P ursuing mission, new and old, as H arry attridge enters final year as dean and caPital camPaign boosts resources by $37.4 million
By Gustav Spohn, Director of Communications and Publications

ted to Levin, except that all were reputable scholars with administrative experience as well, and all were protestants. the five-year Divinity tomorrow capital campaign concluded on June 30, raising a record $37.4 million for numerous initiatives, including financial aid (increasing annual scholarship assistance from $1.6 million to $5.4 million); three endowed faculty chairs; and expansion of the schools global reach with enhanced support for international students, international exchange programs, and travel opportunities. the campaign has strengthened the Divinity school and will solidify its place among the worlds great divinity schools, YDs china travel seminar participants said Attridge. I am very grateful for the presentations were particularly relevant to YDs and its leadership generous support of our alums and friends. Your gifts have proin the midst of the long-range planning process intended to chart vided critical support for the future of YDs in several key areas, the schools course over the course of the next decade and more. including scholarship aid, endowments for faculty chairs, and programs. three faculty members, all relatively recent newcomers to sterling Of the $37.4 million total, YDs alumni contributed $10.8 million. Another $12 million came from alumni of the universitys other schools, including Yale college; $6.9 million from individuals who are not Yale alumni; $6.5 million from foundations; $122,000 from corporations; and $1.1 million from other organizations. even as YDs appeared to be weathering the effects of the recession, the YDs leadership boards continued to ponder questions related to the future of congregations at a time when mainline u.s. protestantismthe traditional backbone of YDss constituencyis in steep decline. presentations on that subject, with a keynote address by James Nieman of Hartford seminary, were part of a may 4-6 series of meetings that included joint sessions of four YDs-related leadership boards the YDs Alumni Board, the YDs Board of Advisors, the Board of trustees of Berkeley Divinity school at Yale, and the Board of Advisors of the Yale center for Faith and culture. the Divinity Quadrangle, were appointed to endowed chairs in 2011. theologian Kathryn tanner 79 B.A., 85 ph.D. was named the Frederick marquand professor of systematic theology, succeeding thomas Ogletree as marquand professor. A proponent of constructive theology, her research focuses on how christian thought might be brought to bear on contemporary issues of theological concern using social, cultural and feminist theory. A month prior to her being named to the marquand chair, tanner was chosen to deliver the prestigious Gifford Lectures at the university of edinburgh in scotland in 2015-16. previously, tanner taught at the university of chicago Divinity school. Jennifer Herdt is the new Gilbert L. stark professor of christian ethics, succeeding margaret Farley. Herdt joined YDs after 11 years on the faculty of theology at the university of Notre Dame. Her primary interests are in early-modern and modern moral thought, classical and contemporary virtue ethics, and contemporary theological ethics and political theology. mary clark moschella now holds the roger J. squire chair in pastoral counseling, an endowed chair that was elevated from junior to senior faculty status in 1999. Lee mcGee 69 m.A.r. held the chair from 1987 to 1997. A pastoral theologian accomplished in academe and experienced as a pastor in the united church of christ, moschella came to YDs from Wesley theological seminary in Washington, D.c. New staff appointments included maggi Dawn as associate dean for marquand chapel, succeeding siobhn Garrigan; Lucinda Huffacker, director of supervised ministries, succeeding Barbara Blodgett; and sean mcAvoy 11 m.A.r., assistant director of admissions, succeeding melissa pucci 04 m.A.r.
James Nieman addresses YDs leadership

n march 1, 2011, as part of a long-range planning process, the Yale Divinity school faculty approved a new mission statement that raises up YDss commitment to social justice. Just eight days later, on Ash Wednesday, YDs launched a multifaceted anti-poverty initiative, one of the most visible, sustained social justice efforts the Divinity school has undertaken in recent years. the timing of the two was purely coincidental, but their temporal proximity underscored the kind of theory-to-practice dynamic that has long characterized teaching at YDs. [For more on the new mission statement and long-range planning, see the article by Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Emilie Townes on Page 51.] the 40-day mobilizing Faith, Fighting poverty Lenten campaign, launched at the National press club in Washington, Dc, issued a call to arms of sorts to the religious community, urging renewed commitment to the eradication of poverty.

the event was a model of staff/alumni cooperation. co-hosting the launch was Washington-based International relief and Development, headed by YDs alum Arthur B. Keys Jr. 73 m.Div. moderating a panel at the gathering was Linda Lader 08 m.Div. the keynote speaker was u.s. senator chris coons 92 m.A.r., 92 J.D. of Delaware, who had been involved in one of the most closely watched and hotly contested senate races in the country in 2010. there were over 100 attendees, half of them YDs alums. the anti-poverty challenge raised up on Ash Wednesday reverberated well beyond the Washington beltway. Following the launch event, marketing of the mobilizing Faith, Fighting poverty campaign continued via the internet. A special YDs poverty teach-In web site was created for the campaign, as well as a YDssponsored mobilizing Faith, Fighting poverty Facebook page. such outreach beyond the academy has been a hallmark of Dean Harold Attridges decade as dean, and as 2011 came to a close students, faculty, and staff were pondering what kind of style his successor might havein the wake of Attridges announcement that he would step down as dean at the conclusion of his second five-year term on June 30, 2012. On Dec. 19, a nine-member search committee for the new dean, led by Holmes professor of Old testament criticism and Interpretation John collins, submitted its recommendations to Yale president richard Levin after sifting through an initial pool of about 100 candidates, winnowing the field down to two principal contenders. then began a waiting game that was still in progress as Spectrum 2012 went to press. Hopes were high that a new dean would be in place by July 1. Little was revealed publically about the two primary candidates and three others whose names were also submit-

Delaware senator chris coons

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During the first week of December 2010, five YDs students travelled to the Dominican republic with Willis Jenkins, the margaret Farley Assistant professor of social ethics, where they joined 40 episcopal church leaders from 10 countries in four days of discussion about the environmental justice impacts of climate changeand the challenges of addressing those impacts. the turmoil in egypt forced an abrupt end to a trip that would have inaugurated a pioneering initiative between YDs and AlAzhar university in cairo. under the supervision of Joseph cumming, director of the Divinity schools reconciliation program on christian-muslim relations, seven YDs students arrived in cairo on Jan. 26ready to begin a semester-long course of study at AlAzhar in Arabic and Islamic thought. But by Feb. 1 the students were on a plane bound for Amsterdam, and on Feb. 4 they were safely back in New Haven. the tanzania trip, entitled catalysts for social change: the Quest for social Justice through music, theatre, and Liberation theologies, was a collaborative effort between YDs and the Yale school of Drama. eight students and three faculty members from YDs and Drama spent a preparatory week in New Haven, followed by a month in tanzania in July. through discussions with religious leaders, ethno-music historians, storytellers, poets, and public health administrators, students investigated the issues of marginalized communities. the Yale Divinity school LGBtQ coalition produced and released a short film featuring nine students telling their own stories of how, over time, life gets better for them as LGBtQ persons. the project was part of a global campaign by ItGetsBetter.org to reach out to queer youth who experience bullying or may be considering suicide. Long before the end of 2011, the film had gotten in excess of 16,000 hits on Youtube. two student groups on divergent sides of the abortion issue now have official club status on sterling Divinity Quadrangle. After the community Life committee (cLc) officially recognized the YDs right to Life Fellowship (rtLF), making it the first officially recognized abortion-centric group on campus, seminarians for reproductive justice (srJ) also applied for official club status, which was granted just a few months later. In a divisive sociopolitical-religious climate, the two groups hope a commitment to authentic humility can provide a foundation for fruitful dialogue. the YDs ultimate Frisbee team offered up a resounding response to a challenge thrown down by Harvard Divinity school with a stunning 15-11 victory in April against their HDs counterparts. Following the contest, peter panagore 86 m.Div., a co-founder three decades earlier of YDss original ultimate Frisbee team, ultimate Divinity, arranged to have official shirts made for the team, the back emblazoned with a quote from late professor emeritus of Old testament Lansing r. Hicks. At commencement in may, Vernice (Hopie) randall and robert Holden, both students in the m.Div. program, received YDss top prizes for graduating studentsrespectively, the Henry Hallam tweedy prize for exceptional promise in pastoral leadership

and the Julia A. Archibald High scholarship prize. A total of 130 students walked up the marquand chapel steps to receive their diplomas. the class presented YDs with an Annual Fund check of $10,356, representing a record 72 percent participation rate for a graduating class gift. Over 300 alumni and spouses, faculty, staff and others took part in convocation and reunions 2011, which featured several creative new elementsincluding reunions for interest groups like the sacramental Winers, who celebrated their twentieth reunion, and the ultimate Divinity Frisbee team; special lectures by YDs faculty; and reunion gatherings for recently graduated alumni. combined with ever-popular fare such as the Beecher, Kavanagh and pitt lectures, inspirational preaching, and alumni award celebrations, these new elements helped ensure that the Oct. 10-12 gathering had something for everyone. Delivering the Beechers was Brian Blount, president of union presbyterian seminary, on the subject Invasion of the Dead: Preaching Resurrection through the lens of Apocalyptic Eschatology. Don saliers 62 B.D., 67 ph.D., the William r. cannon Distinguished professor emeritus of theology and Worship at the candler school of theology, gave the Institute of sacred musics Kavanagh Lecture on The Failure of Language: Liturgy in a Time of Excess. tony Jarvis, director of the educational Leadership and ministry program at Berkeley Divinity school, delivered the BDs pitt Lecture on the subject The Worst of Times, The Best of Times. Faculty members who addressed alumni included miroslav Volf, director of the Yale center for Faith and culture, who discussed his new book, Allah: a Christian Response; Willis Jenkins, the margaret Farley Assistant professor of social ethics, who spoke about climate change as ethical challenge; and robert Wilson, the Hoober professor of religious studies and professor of Old testament, who reflected on the life and legacy of Old testament scholar Brevard childs. Graduates honored with alumni awards included: evalyn Wakusama 01 m.Div., 02 s.t.m., who founded a school in Kenya for children who are orphans or who have been affected by the AIDs crisis (Lux et Veritas Award); Barbara rossing 81 m.Div., professor of New testament at the Lutheran school of theology at chicago (Distinction in theological education); Otis moss III 95 m.Div., pastor of trinity united church of christ in chicago (Distinction in congregational ministry); and christopher Doucot 08 m.A.r., founder and leader of st. martin de pores catholic Worker House in Hartford, ct. (William sloane coffin 56 Award for peace and Justice).

sacramental Winers reunion concert

Dawn, an accomplished author, musician, and theologian, came to YDs from the university of cambridge, where she had responsibilities as chaplain at Kings college, then at robinson college and taught in the Faculty of Divinity. Huffaker previously served as executive secretary of the religious education Association and as director of the Wabash center for teaching and Learning in theology and religion. mcAvoy was co-chair of the senior class Gift committee in 2011, for which he designed and implemented a multi-pronged, donor-centric strategy that resulted in a new record for class participation. Journey of the Universe, the sweeping documentary film about the nature of the universe produced by Yale Divinity school senior Lecturers and research scholars mary evelyn tucker and John Grim, a husband-and-wife team, was shown on scores of pBs stations in virtually every corner of the country during December. the 55-minute film is designed to inspire a new and closer relationship with earth in a period of growing environmental and social crisis. As usual, YDs students had a busy year, punctuated by trips to china, egypt, tanzania, and the Dominican republic. From may 6-19, 14 YDs students were in china on a travel seminar, accompanied by Assistant professor of Asian theology chlo starr and Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Anna ramirez. they visited seminaries, rural and urban churches, confucian temples, and mosques, in addition to famous sites such as the Great Wall of china, tiananmen square, the Forbidden city, and the tomb of Genghis Khan.

michael Norko addresses same-sex marriage conference

In addition, a special award, the first-ever Deans Award for Outstanding service, was presented to Fred Brooks 61 m.Div., who since 2008 has served as secretary for the class of 61, led his classs 50th reunion planning committee, served as YDs delegate to the Association of Yale Alumni, and has been instrumental in recruiting outstanding students to YDs. Just 10 days after convocation and reunions, YDs hosted the conference same-sex marriage and the catholic church: Voices from Law, religion, and the pews, which brought to marquand chapel academics and activists, lawyers and parish workers, clergy and laity to examine roman catholic teaching on sexual diversity. Among the principal organizers of the conference were michael Norko 10 m.A.r., associate professor of psychiatry at the Yale school of medicine, Associate professor of New testament Diana swancutt, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs emilie townes, and professor emerita margaret Farley. Nine YDs alumni were among 149 clergy from around the country selected for the 2010 class of Lilly endowment Inc.s National clergy renewal program, which provides christian congregations with grants of up to $50,000 to support extended periods of intentional reflection and renewal for ministers. In the Nov. 2 elections, three Yale Divinity school alumni prevailed in congressional contests. In a race that was prominent nationally, chris coons 92 m.A.r., 92 J.D. won the Delaware senate seat formerly held by Vice president Joseph Biden. In the House of representatives, YDs winners were David price 64 B.D., 69 ph.D. a longtime congressman representing North carolinas 4th District, and Lois capps 64 m.A.r., who has represented californias 23rd District for more than a decade.

Beecher Lecturer Brian Blount

Vernice (Hopie) randall at commencement

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