April 27, 2023
Jermaine Ross-Allam: United’s 2023 Spirit of United Alum
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June 24, 2021
Queer Ancestors, Holy Pride: A Community Arts Collage
On June 22, 2021, students, alumni, and friends of United got together for a special Pride arts lunch, where we created a community arts collage around the theme of queer ancestry, pride, and lgbtq+ iconography. The Following Pride flag is inspired by Daniel Quasar's Progress: Pride Flag Reboot, which brings together Gilbert Baker's original design with Tierney's inclusive Pride Flag (which incorporates black and brown strips in honor of black and other POC members of the LGBTQ community) and Seattle LGBTQ Commission's flag (which includes the pink, white and blue of the transgender flag). (more…)
June 16, 2021
Hollywood, Transgender Lives, and the Theological Response: A Panel on Disclosure (2020)
In Summer 2020, Theology and the Arts at United held a panel discussion on the Netflix documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen about the history of transgender representation in film and television. FOr Pride 2021, we have made the recording of the discussion available for viewing. (more…)
April 20, 2021
United Statement on Chauvin Trial Verdict
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is relieved by the murder conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin. It is important that he is held accountable for his callous actions in killing George Floyd and for his failure to allow life-saving medical assistance. We pray that this conviction offers a measure of comfort to George Floyd’s grieving family and community and that it is a step in a more just direction of social and political changes that are long overdue.We are clear, however, that this conviction is not an invitation to rest or become complacent. Rather, it is one necessary step in the creation of a world where all people are safe and able to survive and thrive in our communities. As we continue to mourn the losses of such sacred lives as George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, we are also reminded of the ongoing grief and trauma that Black people and communities more broadly continue to face.It is imperative that we collectively address that trauma by ending state sanctioned violence against Black humanity and creating meaningful opportunities for healing amid the historic and ongoing injustices occasioned by white supremacy. We commit ourselves to this work and strive in solidarity to bring about the day when all will proclaim in word and deed that Black Lives Matter.
April 19, 2021
United Students Speak Out for the Environment
On Friday April 16, United students and professor Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis attended a virtual call with a staff member from Rep. Betty McCullom's office, coordinated by Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. The meeting included more than 60 faith leaders from St. Paul calling for strong federal action on the environment and climate justice. Student Stephani Pescitelli read a statement that the students wrote. Video below: (more…)
April 19, 2021
Resources and Actions Amidst the Chauvin Trial and the Death of Daunte Wright.
As a seminary located in the Twin Cities, our communities have been anticipating the verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial. Meanwhile, we are also mourning and responding to the killing of Daunte Wright at the hands of Brooklyn Center police. Amidst these tumultuous times, we are publishing the following list of resources and actions for our community to heal, to advocate, and to fight for justice. (more…)
April 13, 2021
Statement on Daunte Wright
The community of United Seminary of the Twin Cities mourns the death of Daunte Wright, yet another Black man shot and killed in the long trajectory of deaths at the hands of law enforcement in this country. We join in the outpouring of anguish and grief over the loss of another precious life and we recognize that this killing comes amid the ongoing trauma experienced by people of color, particularly at this very painful time as the community is forced to revisit the horrors of George Floyd’s death during the murder trial of Derek Chauvin. (more…)
Stations of the Cross 2021: Online Exhibit
The Stations of the Cross is a Catholic devotion that commemorates fourteen images or stations from the last day of Jesus’ life. Participants meditate on each station and may recite specific prayers. As a processional liturgy—whether contained within a church or displayed in yards in a neighborhood—the Stations of the Cross is a kind of miniature pilgrimage in which the faithful engage in embodied meditation on the Passion of Jesus. (more…)