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Theology and the Arts Emmanuel professor Dr. Miriam Perkins describes her title, Associate Professor of Theology and Society, as an “interdisciplinary approach to what people believe and how they practice their faith, embedded in a historical, cultural, political, etc. context. As opposed to only studying the content of religious faith, it looks also at the Christian tradition steeped in different contexts. It’s a deeply contextual way of thinking about the nature of Christian faith.” She went on to say, “I teach theology from a religious studies perspective – which means I teach about the content of Christian faith within the context of the surrounding culture. There are very few schools that intersect theology and cultural studies,” and Emmanuel is one of those few. Perkins believes Emmanuel is unique because both content and context are taught in conversation with each other. Perkins loves teaching, especially at a seminary because “students present a constant challenge to connect what we believe about God to the concerns of the world. I enjoy the challenge of having to teach with ministry contexts in mind because it forces me to think about the implications of Christian faith and Jesus’ presence in the world. In a seminary context, students need to be able to connect that to a flesh and blood context, and I enjoy that challenge.” As an example, Dr. Perkins feels that reading a theological piece about Jesus’ People in the News Dr. Samuel “Kip” Elolia (Professor of Christian Doctrine and World Christianity) has been granted a sabbatical for the 2011-12 academic year. During this time, he plans to work on two research and writing projects. Dr. Elolia will continue writing about the Holy Spirit from the perspective of African indigenous churches. The second topic is Theology, Democracy, and Globalization: Ecclesiological Imagination in an Age of Globalization. He hopes both projects will become published books in the future. Dr. Miriam Y. Perkins (Associate Professor of Theology and Society) was a presenter at the Association of Theological Schools orientation for new faculty in October; her presentation was entitled “Maxims for Navigating the First Years.” In January, Dr. Perkins continued her participation in a Wabash Center colloquium for faculty at theological schools at a meeting in Corpus Christi, TX. She also attended the 2012 Lilly Conference on Theological Research held in Pittsburgh, PA, in February. identity as a Jew “is useful and helpful in terms of its information, but when you see a painting by Chagall, who was Jewish, and put Jesus on the cross with a Jewish prayer shawl wrapped around his loins, the Jewishness of Jesus becomes more real. And because Chagall was painting in the years leading up to the Holocaust, the reality that Jesus was a Jew had profound meaning and judgment for and toward Christians.” It is this convergence of art, teaching, and research that she enjoys so much. At the November American Academy of Religion annual meeting, Perkins arranged a panel on how art can illuminate our understanding of other religious traditions. She discussed two rare Islamic images of Jesus in the Chester Beatty Manuscript Collection in Dublin, Ireland. One is of Mary and Jesus as a baby; the other depicts the ascension of Jesus. “I used those images to learn more about Jesus in Islam. And I used them in the Doctrine of Christ course in a teaching context to help students understand where Islam and Christianity share concerns and where they have differences in their understanding of Jesus. The differences are significant, but most Christians aren’t aware that, in some context, Muslims revere Jesus. So the illuminations help a student experience that and become acquainted with Islamic traditions of Jesus,” Perkins explained. Dr. Perkins said she tries to integrate elements from her own background in the Dr. Miriam Perkins Humanities into every course, mostly by incorporating art, literature, and film into the classroom as an instructional resource; it’s “a way of thinking outside the box,” she said. “The arts help me extend the range of theological resources for students. Most art and literature is meant to challenge our assumptions, to help us see something new, or to see something in a new way. I use them in the classroom to present the same challenge to students.” Perkins wants her students to broaden their perspectives as to what constitutes theological resources for the Church. She wants “to introduce them to writers and theologians and artists who will help them to mature theologically and in their faith over their lifetime. That’s really important to me.” Dr. Bruce E. Shields (Russell F. and Marian J. Blowers Professor of Christian Ministries, Emeritus) taught Galatians at the International Christian College of Manila (Philippines) January 23-February 3, 2012; he then flew to Hong Kong where he condensed that two-week course into one week at Chinese Christian Seminary February 6-10, 2012. On March 20-21, 2012, Dr. Shields will present the John Webb Lectures in Preaching at Lincoln Christian University. The topic will be Preaching in the Early Church and Today. In the spring, an essay by Dr. Shields is scheduled to be published in Oral Tradition. In April, he will submit three homiletical essays on passages from Mark for Feasting on the Gospels. Dr. Shields serves as a volunteer chaplain at Johnson City Medical Center as well as Chair of the Elders at Hopwood Memorial Christian Church. Dr. Bob Wetzel (Chancellor) wrote an article for the Christian Standard entitled “Creeds: A Slogan Reexamined” in February as a part of Standard’s series called “In Opinions, Liberty.” Since retiring from the presidency of Emmanuel in 2009, Dr. Wetzel has been teaching first year Humanities at Milligan College.
New Scholarships Established Timothy and Mary Phillippe Scholarship Tim and Mary Fern Phillippe of Saint Charles, MO, established a scholarship in October 2011 as part of the Celebrate the Future campaign. Tim received his Master of Arts in Religion from Emmanuel in 1980 and is currently serving on the Emmanuel Board of Associates. The couple attends Harvester Christian Church where Brian Jobe (M.Div. ’98) serves as the minister. Since 2001, Tim has served as President/Chief Executive Officer of Christian Homes, Inc. in Lincoln, IL. In addition to his degree from Emmanuel, Tim has a master’s in counseling, a doctorate in psychology, and is an ordained minister in the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. Mary Fern also works for Christian Homes, Inc. as the Lifestyle Development Director. Mary Fern is the daughter of Roy and Wanda Lee Hampton. Wanda Lee taught Greek at Emmanuel. Mary Fern’s sister, Rebecca Plumer, is an Emmanuel Trustee. Wayne and Le Ann Wertz Scholarship Michael and Christine Hachey Scholarship Mike and Chris Hachey of Scottsdale, AZ, established a scholarship in November 2011 as part of the Cel- ebrate the Future campaign to aid students preparing for ministry to youth in the United States or abroad. When they moved to Arizona in 1985, Mike and Chris found a home at Chaparral Christian Church where Frank Shirvinski (M.Div. ‘99) serves as minister and where they were introduced to Emmanuel. Mike and Chris set up the scholarship so they could take an active part in the education of students who would bring the word of God to others. Mike received a bachelor’s degree in accounting; Chris received a master’s degree in education. Mike worked as a CPA with a firm in Indiana and then in Arizona until he started his own business in 1990. After 23 years of teaching, Chris started working in a travel agency. In 1996 she started her own travel agency which she ran until she retired in 2011. Wayne and Le Ann Wertz established a scholarship in November 2011 as part of the Celebrate the Future campaign. They currently live in Glendale, AZ, where they attend Chaparral Christian Church. Because of their foreign missionary service, first consideration will be given to a student at Emmanuel preparing for ministry as a foreign missionary. The couple also funded the Wertz Cottage in the Emmanuel Village. At the end of World War II, the couple became engaged over the phone while Wayne was in the Philippines as a member of the U.S. Navy. After his military service, Wayne joined Le Ann as a student at Albion College. They were married in 1947. With the intention of becoming a medical missionary, Wayne received his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School. Wayne and Le Ann were commissioned as medical missionaries by the Englewood Christian Church in Chicago, IL, where Emmanuel’s second president, Dr. Fred Thompson, was the minister. Soon after, Christian Missionary Fellowship gave the couple their assignment: the Landour Community Hospital in Mussoorie, India, where Wayne was to serve as a surgeon. Wayne, Le Ann, and their children moved to Mussoorie in 1959 where they spent a total of eight years as missionaries to the poor, hill-country people of India before returning to the U.S. where Wayne served as a surgeon for over 40 years.
Page 1 and 2: The Envoy March 2012 Daily Worship
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