Middle East Travel Seminar: Sacred ground above the Dead Sea

…join the rest and take the cable car to the top. What a moving experience to walk through this archeological site! Our guide led us through the remains of the storehouses and King Herod’s palaces. We viewed the ramp built by slaves for the Roman legion of 15,000 soldiers to breach the wall of the fortress where 1,000 men, women …

President Blount to retire from Union Presbyterian Seminary in 2023

…Blount has led the seminary through a number of accomplishments, including: Developing the Charlotte campus into a full partner with the Richmond campus, leading the seminary toward the fulfillment of its vision as “one seminary with two campuses.” Collaborating with partners in constructing the Canopy Apartments on UPSem property and subsequently selling these apartments, thus increasing the value of the …

Learning how to talk about suicide

Student Caitlin Hahn (back row center in blue Union shirt) with her church youth group in Henrico County, Virginia. She plans to share with them what she learned at the APCE conference about destigmatizing suicide. M.A.C.E./M.Div. student Caitlin Hahn shares her reflections on attending the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) 2017 Annual Event in Denver, Colorado. One of the …

Online Workshop: The New Testament and Contemporary Social Concerns–Post-election Perspectives (Two-part series)

Online Workshop: The New Testament and Contemporary Social Concerns — Post-election Perspectives Dates: Tuesdays, February 2 and February 9, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EST (Note: This online workshop is a two-part series). Led by: John Carroll, Harriet Robertson Fitts Memorial Professor of New Testament, Union Presbyterian Seminary Workshop Description: Karl Barth famously advocated reading the newspaper alongside the Bible. …

Union Forum: Caste and Race: Solidarity Across the Oceans

This is post 6 of 6 in the series “Union Forum” Union Forum: Chaplaincy & COVID-19 Union Forum: What should white Christians do about racism? Union Forum: Why do racist symbols have to go? Union Forum: How can Christians respond to unjust policing? Union Forum: Reimagining Community and Public Safety Union Forum: Caste and Race: Solidarity Across the Oceans Is …

Middle East Travel Seminar: Our trek from desert to sea

…the bluffs, basking in the sun, and learning about first century BCE carvings that can be easily ignored if you aren’t looking carefully enough. (left to right) Richmond students Heather Brannon, Rebecca Heilman, and Linda Kurtz on a camel ride. After exploring the wilderness, several members of our group enthusiastically volunteered to ride on a camel caravan near camp. It’s …

Curso en línea “Senderos” (Online Course in Spanish)

…del ministro, incluyendo su salud espiritual, emocional y física. Además de varias lecturas, las vidas y experiencia de las y los participantes constituirán nuestro texto, es decir, el material fundamental de este curso. Formato del curso en línea: Las clases semanales se llevarán a cabo utilizando la tecnología Zoom. Se proporcionará el enlace correspondiente de Zoom. Los participantes necesitarán tener …

Dawe Lecture to explore how religious traditions can help political process

How can our religious traditions help repair the health of our civil discourse? How can we garner the wisdom of our Jewish and Christian traditions to guide us in restoring a rational and judicious political process? Randi Rashkover — associate professor of religious studies, director of Judaic studies, and director of graduate studies at George Mason University — will present …

Charlotte Campus Art Dedication and Lecture

Save the date and watch this space for details! …

Central America Travel Seminar: Stories of exile and oppression

This is post 8 of 12 in the series “Central America travel seminar” Our Central America travel seminar has landed! Central America Travel Seminar: Silencing Christian Justice Central America Travel Seminar: The War Years Central America Travel Seminar: The day we met Jon Sobrino Central America Travel Seminar: “Power is for the people” Central America Travel Seminar: Echoes of Womanists …

Charlotte Campus 20th Anniversary Chapel Service

Save the date and watch this space for details!

Union Presbyterian Seminary Charlotte Campus Commencement

Egyptian Presbyterian Safwat Marzouk called to Union Seminary as Old Testament professor

…he served as an instructor at the Coptic Catholic Seminary in Cairo and the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo; as teaching fellow at Princeton University and Princeton Seminary; and as instructor at St. Joseph’s University. “I am excited for the opportunity our students will have in studying with Dr. Marzouk,” Union President Brian K. Blount said. “In classrooms, he invites …

Gems for the Journey: Justice or Injustice

…happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with a narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an …

Living in Darkness?

…appears that darkness is overwhelming the thoughts and actions of many in these United States and in other parts of the world. The question I pose for the people of God is, “Where are you?” If darkness is seemingly pervasive to the point it is the international, national, and local norm and news in America, where is the light? Have …

History: Whose Story? Black Lives Matter! by Rev. William R. Freeman (M.Div.01)

…Why? The elections of 2008 and 2020 provide all you need to know! History offers many insights here: Carter G. Woodson started Negro History Week on February 7, 1926 because the white news media did not report on Black news nor was the accomplishments of Black theologians, educators, scholars, journalists, inventors, scientists, writers, etc., taught in American schools. Negro History …

Middle East Travel Seminar: The Western Wall, Temple Mount, and Dome of the Rock

…we gathered on the grounds for a presentation on the Church of the Nativity by Union student George Williams. Our planned activities for the day ended under a blue sky with dry umbrellas and a farewell ringing of church bells. (Top photo courtesy of Joshua Lewis) Pat and Cynthia Barrow are friends of Union Presbyterian Seminary from Wallace, North Carolina. …

Almond Sin called to Union Seminary as Visiting Instructor of Old Testament

…good teaching practice and dedicated pastoral care of students.” Professor Sin has a Master of Arts from Vanderbilt, a Master of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a Bachelor of Arts from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. ### Dr. Almond Ka Kwan, Sin image Contact: Mike Frontiero Union Presbyterian Seminary mfrontiero@upsem.edu …

6 things about Alex Abdalla’s summer break

…case manager (along with other opportunities that different organizations in the city come to provide). What I do as a seminary intern is worship leadership on Sundays, as well as provide pastoral care during the meals. This has given me the opportunity to learn about all of the good work Broad Street Ministry is doing to further the Kingdom of …

Former trustee, businessman Bruce C. Gottwald Jr. dies

RICHMOND, Va. (October 22, 2019) – Bruce C. Gottwald Jr., former trustee of Union Presbyterian Seminary, businessman, and scion of a prominent Richmond family, has died. He was 61. Gottwald was one of three people killed Sunday in a head-on automobile crash in Reno County, Kansas, according to local news reports. He served on the seminary’s board of trustees from …