WILSON, N.C. — September 17, 2019 — Barton College’s “Light of Life Series” provides occasions for learning and dialogue about matters vital to life within our communities as enriched by our faith perspectives. This fall, Barton is excited to expand the reach of this significant conversation as the College welcomes Dr. Bonnie Miller-McLemore, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture in the Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion at Vanderbilt University, as the Light of Life Series’ featured speaker on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
The event will be held at 7 p.m. in Howard Chapel on the Barton campus. Dr. Miller-McLemore’s presentation will focus on “Re-imagining Vocation: Its Transformation Across the Lifespan.” The program is open to the public at no charge, and the community is invited to attend.
About the Speaker —
A Henry Luce III Fellow in Theology and an author, co-author, and editor of more than 16 books, as well as more than one hundred chapters and articles, Dr. Miller-McLemore has particular interest in the person and lived theology in the midst of everyday struggles, such as illness, dying, working, and parenting. Her recent publications include “Conundrums in Practical Theology” (Brill 2016); “Christian Practical Wisdom: What It Is, Why It Matters” (Eerdmans 2016); “Christian Theology in Practice: Discovering a Discipline” (Eerdmans 2012); and “The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology” (Wiley-Blackwell 2012). Her writing has been translated into several languages, including Korean, Portuguese, and Swedish. She is currently working on two projects: a book for a wide audience on vocation, tentatively titled, “The Underside of Living Out Our Callings”; and an annotated volume of classic essays, “The Wiley-Blackwell Reader in Practical Theology” (Wiley-Blackwell).
A nationally and internationally recognized leader in pastoral and practical theologies and in women and childhood studies, Dr. Miller-McLemore has served as president of the International Academy of Practical Theology, president of the Association of Practical Theology, and co-chair of two newly founded program units of the American Academy of Religion, the Consultation on Childhood Studies and Religion and the Group on Practical Theology. In addition to her Luce award, she has also received grants from the Louisville Institute, the Collegeville Institute, the Lilly Endowment Foundation, the Association of Theological Schools, the Wabash Center on Teaching and Learning in Religion and Theology, and Vanderbilt University for the study of families, children, and religion; research on practical theology; research on public theology; and exploration of teaching and vocation. Ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr. Miller-McLemore served as an associate pastor, chaplain, and pastoral counselor while completing her M.A. and Ph.D. at University of Chicago in 1986. She teaches courses on personality theory, self-psychology, women and religion, families and children, spirituality and pastoral care, pastoral and practical theology, and methods in theology and the social sciences.
For additional information about the program or the Light of Life Series, please contact the Reverend Dr. Rodney A. Werline, Leman and Marie Barnhill Endowed Chair in Religious Studies at Barton College, director of the Barton College Center for Religious Studies, and coordinator of the “Light of Life” Series.
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