VDS Voices

Chicago artist Mac Blackout’s new mural encouraging Americans to get out and vote in the upcoming election. Guest post by Emilie M. Townes, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society. This reflection originally appeared in the November 3, 2020  “Spire”electronic newsletter. Growing up in the liberal segregated south of Durham,… Read More

Saturday 26 Sept  / 8 Tishrei When a Bird Crashed Into My Window on a Pre-Yom-Kippur Jewish Meditation Virtual Retreat It was yoga time The instructor was guiding us from downward dog to cobra, when I heard a loud thunk. My mind began to race. I noticed it racing… Read More

Helpful tips and contingency planning for Zoom Compiled by Sophia Agtarap, Vanderbilt Divinity School Director of Communications Though Zoom has proved to be a helpful tool for online teaching, learning, and meeting, every system has its limits–some of which we… Read More

Call for Applications: Carpenter/LGBT Policy Lab Fellows The Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality is hiring two paid LGBT Policy Fellows (MTS or MDiv) for the 2020-21 school year. … Read More

Vanderbilt Divinity Community, The Divinity School has always been a school of prophets and scholars, and also, disruptors. We are always looking for a way to challenge the injustices in the world, which is why it is no surprise that Vanderbilt Divinity School alumna Anthea Butler has created the… Read More

Bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest on display in the Tennessee State Capitol. Shelley Mays/The Tennessean Dear all– We join a number of people today rejoicing to hear that the Capitol Commissioners voted to remove the bust of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, U.S. Admiral David Farragut, and U.S. Admiral Albert Gleaves… Read More

Students taking classes in person are required to stay in Nashville until the Thanksgiving break. Any student with an urgent need to travel must get approval from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs before making any plans. If approved to travel, per current VU policy, the student will be… Read More

Words from emilie m. townes, dean of Vanderbilt Divinity School, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Chair, Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society Once again, a Black man was killed while in police custody.  The images of his life slipping away because of the knee planted on his neck… Read More

Photo by russn_fckr on Unsplash A guest post from alumna Katy Attanasi, who earned her PhD in Christian Ethics from Vanderbilt University. In the Masterpiece Mystery series Foyle’s War, Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle solves regular crimes in an average British town during the extraordinary times of World… Read More

A lenten reflection by Lyndsey Godwin (she, her, hers), Assistant Director of the Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality. Foot-washing is a practice of mutuality, embodied. It represents, for me at least, the whole of Jesus’ ministry. This ritual, this… Read More