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April 16, 2026

Dr. Ginger Morgan Announced as New Associate Professor and Program Director for Interreligious Chaplaincy

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, April 16, 2026 — United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is thrilled to announce that Dr. Ginger Morgan will join its faculty as the new Associate Professor for Pastoral and Spiritual Care and Program Director for Interreligious Chaplaincy. Dr. Morgan will come to United from Madison, WI, where she is concluding her role at the Presbyterian Student Center Foundation as director of Candid and Community Initiatives. She is a highly qualified program director and chaplain with experience in healthcare, campus ministry, and higher education. With a PhD in Religion and Psychological Studies from Iliff School of Theology at the University of Denver, as well as a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Vanderbilt Divinity School, Dr. Morgan draws from her theological and multidisciplinary education in her work. Interreligious studies is one of United’s four pillars, and the Interreligious Chaplaincy (IRC) program—unique among peer institutions—constitutes the largest and fastest-growing of the seminary’s programs over the past five years. In alignment with United’s ethos, Dr. Morgan is a gifted scholar of religious pluralism, highly educated in progressive theological education, and foregrounds justice in chaplaincy and pastoral care. These values are evident in a chapter titled “Many Doors: Expanding Thresholds for Grace,” written by Dr. Morgan for the upcoming book Dispatches from Campus (Augsburg Fortress Press). Dr. Morgan’s career also reflects her personal experiences and identity. Writing to the search committee, she shared, “My formation includes reconciling my lesbian identity with my faith and living as a religious minority in India during high school, both of which shaped my intercultural perspective and vocational commitments.” She continued, “Throughout my career, I have sought to create inclusive spaces of belonging, whether supporting LGBTQIA+ students, young adults in recovery from addiction, or building programs attentive to justice and equity." Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall, President, reflects, “United welcomes Dr. Ginger Morgan with confidence and great enthusiasm. Her varied leadership roles, especially in chaplaincy, equip her uniquely to lead our robust IRC program and to teach pastoral and spiritual care.” In his announcement to the student body, Dr. Kyle Roberts—Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs—noted that Dr. Morgan’s “career in chaplaincy spans hospital, hospice, and higher education contexts, and extensive program leadership experience.” He added, “I want to thank Dr. Demian Wheeler for leading this search process, especially during its formative stages during my sabbatical.” After participating in a months-long faculty search and on-site candidate lecture, being recommended by a unanimous faculty vote, and gaining approval from the Board of Trustees’ Academic Committee, Dr. Morgan will officially begin on July 1. Students, faculty, and staff are eager to welcome her to United for this exciting new chapter. For more information about United’s Interreligious Chaplaincy program, click here. About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to educate leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling of systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Contact Nathanial Green (he/him) Director of Marketing and Communications press@unitedseminary.edu • (651) 255-6138 Admissions and Enrollment admissions@unitedseminary.edu

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April 13, 2022

Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross has its origins in the early Christian practice of visiting the sites of Jesus’ passion in Jerusalem. Over the centuries, it has since developed into a kind of mini- or local pilgrimage in which the faithful process through the fourteen stations, often represented by plaques or artwork within a church building. In a time of pandemic, we invite you to join us on an imaginative pilgrimage through the following artists' images, poems, and reflections.  Jesus is condemned to death. By Dustin Wilsor Jesus carries his cross. By Dee Grover Jesus Falls for the first time. By Andrea Roselle Jesus meets his mother Mary. By Elizabeth Jacobson Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross. By Justin Sabia-Tanis Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. By Alaina Hoffman Jesus falls the second time By Jennifer Awes Freeman     Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem By Melissa Miller Jesus spent much of his earthly life comforting, healing, uplifting, protecting, and empowering women. Here, women lean in to offer their consoling embrace to him. They represent the women of the world weeping for justice and mercy, while teaching us the beauty of compassion that flows through our wordless tears. Yet even in his final hour, Jesus stops to comfort the sad; a simple act of grace to calm them as he foretells the destruction to come.   “Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” Jesus falls for the third time By Elizabeth O’Sullivan Jesus is stripped of his clothes. By Max Yeshaye Brumberg-Kraus Note: The original video is not included here due to nudity and sexual content. In lieu of cutting out scenes or censoring images in the video, the artist has agreed to replace their submission with the following passage from the 19th Ecumenical Council held between 1545-1563: “Moreover, in the invocation of saints, the veneration of relics, and the sacred use of images, every superstition shall be removed, all filthy lucre be abolished; finally, all lasciviousness be avoided; in such wise that figures shall not be painted or adorned with a beauty exciting to lust […] In fine, let so great care and diligence be used herein by bishops, as that there be nothing seen that is disorderly, or that is unbecomingly or confusedly arranged, nothing that is profane, nothing indecorous, seeing that holiness becometh the house of God.” Baring the Cross Artist Statement Max Yeshaye Brumberg-Kraus In Station 10, Jesus is stripped of his garments and the Roman soldiers divvy up his clothes. The Vatican links this station to the Edenic tragedy: “the expulsion from Paradise: God’s splendour has fallen away from man, who now stands naked and exposed, unclad and ashamed.”[1] In Eden, the serpent tells Eve: “your eyes shall be open, and ye shall be as gods.”[2] Thus she eats the fruit. Is the serpent simply a liar, or is nakedness a revelation? Human’s first knowledge is knowledge of the nude self: “the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” Look. Desire. Know: apotheosis. Sight becomes self-sight and sight of the other. Please me, and I will please you: see my nakedness, and we will be as gods. If the gift of Jesus’s body to the world is also his revelation, how might the naked body in Paradise similarly be gift and revelation. What occurred between the opening of their eyes and the eventual shame? Did Eve and Adam experience a frightening, mutual self-objectification, a giving of oneself to the other, a move to queer subject-subject consciousness, a mutual relinquishing of self out of love for the other and in so doing approach divinity? But they ultimately withdraw from divinity. God walks in Eden, and the humans “hid themselves […] amongst the trees of the garden.” They do not give unto God, but hoard their flesh: “I was afraid […] I was naked; and I hid myself.”[3] Unable to relinquish themselves to one another, let alone to God, the humans revert to a hierarchical relationship, a heterosexuality ordained by a God who has seen his humans fail to be gods, failed to give as gods, generously, through their skin. God decrees Adam the doer, Eve the done, Adam the actor, Eve acted upon, subject and object. And if God was any good, perhaps God wept. Christ, divine incarnation, arrives to undo this paradigm, the god/man enacting agency through his own objectification, giving unto others as they should give of themselves. But when the Romans bare Jesus, they still bear clothes upon their backs. They devour him not as living nourishment, but in a perverse Eucharist of Jesus’s possessions and Jesus as possession. Is this the origin of Christianity With an added layer of interpretation through “The Twa Corbies,”[4] a Scots folk ballad in which two birds discuss an abandoned corpse they are about to eat and incorporate into their nest, the Romans are both compared to and contrasted with carrion eaters. For while magpies and crows are emblematic of natural life contingent on death, Rome and Christendom are emblematic of supernatural life contingent on killing. Contrasting Christian colonization, dehumanization, and capital with the genderbent, stripper Christ, Baring the Cross asks how do we see our bodies and give our bodies, how are our bodies seen and taken, how might queer and trans people—the sexual and gender marginalized--know God’s body, and ultimately, what is most shameful: a body stripped or the stripping of the body? [1] “Tenth Station,” https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2005/via_crucis/en/station_10.html [2] Gen 3:4, 3:7 KJV [3] Gen 3:8, 3:10 [4] “Child Ballad 26: The Three Ravens/Twa Corbies,” in Bertrand Harris Bronsin and Francis James Child, The traditional tunes of the Child ballads: with their texts, according to the extant records of Great Britain and America (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1959).

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March 21, 2022

The Anti-War Theology of Last Judgement Sunday

The Lenten liturgies of the Orthodox Church characterize the season as one of exile and darkness, but also of compassion, enlightenment, and reconciliation. Our separation from God and our need for each other are more intensely felt, as our liturgies shape us more and more closely into an exiled community searching for a home in God. This year, the Sunday of the Last Judgement, one of the preparatory Sundays before the beginning of Great Lent, fell three days after Russia invaded Ukraine. Also known as Meatfare Sunday (as it’s the last day of eating meat until the paschal celebration), the Sunday of Last Judgement features Matthew 25:31-46 for the Gospel reading: The Lord said, "When the Son of man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." The Church in her wisdom assigns this reading in preparation for Lent so that we are reminded and exhorted to keep the refugee, the incarcerated, the unhoused, the infirm, at the center of our Lenten devotion through prayer, compassion, and the giving of time, money, and resources. And yet, at the same time, the passage implies that these very same acts of love and charity don’t earn us any special claim over salvation or deliverance from death—in that neither the “sheep” nor the “goats” were aware that they were serving the Son in the figure of “the least of these.” At the Last Judgement, we find out that we do not have the power of life eternal—human power is only the power of death. But if we want to serve eternal life, we should serve “the least of these.” This Gospel reading takes on an added poignancy in the current moment as many are dying and thousands fleeing Ukraine, that this season of liturgical exile is quite literally a time of separation, suffering, and death, a Lenten pilgrimage that is not made manageable by the telos of liturgical resolution, but rather one that is unsure, terrifying, and violent. Given that both Russia and Ukraine are historically Orthodox countries, and Putin himself performs public devotion frequently, it’s all the more distressing that many Russian Orthodox religious leaders have failed to condemn this most recent attack on Ukraine. One of the most egregious of these is Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who on March 6th preached an arrogant and divisive sermon that blamed Ukraine’s so-called Western values (including gay pride parades) for Russia’s invasion. His words indicate that, contra the teaching of Matthew 25, Kirill thinks he knows who the sheep and goats are and considers himself their judge. The tragic irony of his preaching such a sermon on the day of Forgiveness Sunday (also known as Cheesefare Sunday) was certainly lost on him, but hundreds of Orthodox clergy, theologians, and laypeople have since publicly condemned his hate speech, bad theology, and partnership with Putin (see, for example, here, here, and here). (As of last week, the Russians have stopped trying to take territory and have started leveling cities—Mariupol has been all but wiped off the map.) Let us respond to this crisis with open hearts, compassionate actions, and a relentless call for justice and accountability. The global response to the invasion of Ukraine has also highlighted the lack of comparable reactions to other humanitarian crises and military conflicts around the world, and thus presents an opportunity to reflect on the racial, ethnic, and religious biases in our respective responses. Because the Orthodox are not the Last Judge and make no final claim even over our enemies, we pray “for those who love us and those who hate us” and with the same breath we condemn those who make war and claim divine authority for themselves. In our confession that Christ is the Last Judge, the Orthodox take up responsibility to do justice—not as an abstract position against war, but concretely for those who ask for help and against those who have death in their hearts. Resources for supporting those in Ukraine: Ukrainian Congress Committee of America's fundraiser toward purchasing pharmaceutical and medical kits. Donate at ucca.org. Orthodox-organized fundraisers: Rebuild Ukraine: https://www.rebuild-ua.org/about-us https://www.oca.org/donate?c=Ukrainian%20Refugee%20Relief https://domoca.org/dom-to-raise-funds-for-those-suffering-in-ukraine/ Additional organizations: https://www.startribune.com/how-minnesotans-can-help-the-people-of-ukraine/600150829/ International Theologians in Support of Ukraine https://trs.catholic.edu/ukraine/  A Prayer for Ukraine We pray, O Lord our God, for all those who suffer from acts of war, especially for the victims in Ukraine. We pray for your peace and mercy in the midst of the great suffering of your people. Accept the prayers of your Church, so that by your goodness, peace may return to all peoples; hear us and have mercy. Lord have mercy (3x) We also pray, O Lord our God, to remember and have mercy on our siblings in Russia and Ukraine who are involved in violent conflict. Remove from their midst all hostility, confusion, and hatred. Lead everyone along the path of reconciliation and peace, we pray, hear us and have mercy. Lord have mercy (3x) Deliver Your people from civil strife, cease the spilling of blood, and turn back the misfortunes set against them. Lead into sanctuary those bereft of shelter, feed the hungry, comfort those who weep, and unite the divided. Leave not Your own flock, who abide in sorrows on account of their kinsmen, to diminish, but rather, as You are benevolent, give speedy reconciliation. Soften the hearts of the unmerciful and convert them to the knowledge of You. Grant peace to Your Church and to Her children, that with one heart and one mouth we may glorify You, our Lord and Savior, unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Prayer adapted from the Diocese of the Midwest) * One Public Orthodoxy link was added above on March 28, 2022.

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March 5, 2022

Found Object Theology: How pulp sci-fi book covers can teach us how to write about God

On Tuesday, November 30th, 2021, Ben Menghini and Natalie Wigg-Stevenson spoke to the Arts Lunch about three of the pulp sci-fi alternative covers Menghini designed for Wigg-Stevenson’s recent book, Transgressive Devotion: Theology as Performance Art. In this book, Wigg-Stevenson argues that theology done as performance art stops trying to describe who God is, and starts trying to make God appear. A daring vision of theology which will energise anybody feeling ‘boxed in’ by the discipline, Transgressive Devotion blurs borders between orthodoxy, heterodoxy and heresy to reveal how the very act of doing theology makes God and humanity vulnerable to each other. Menghini’s pulp sci-fi covers offer three entry points into the enthralling and interwoven themes of Transgressive Devotion. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne661YXhR0w[/embed] Ben Menghini is a doctoral candidate in Theology at the Toronto School of Theology. He is currently writing his dissertation which interrogates the theological trope of a generous orthodoxy. This interdisciplinary work draws on sociology and cultural anthropology to describe a theological generosity with a disposition toward tragic receptivity. For a preview of his found object theological art project Theological Texts as Pulp Sci-Fi, visit @benbenghini on twitter. Natalie Wigg-Stevenson is Associate Professor of Contextual Education and Theology at Emmanuel College, Toronto. Her research explores how ethnographic methods can help create theological conversations across church, academy and everyday life. Her work is interested in queer temporalities/historiographies, cultural theories of practice and practices for decolonizing higher education. She is the author of Ethnographic Theology: An Inquiry Into the Production of Theological Knowledge (2013) and Transgressive Devotion: Theology as Performance Art (2021). 

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January 27, 2022

A Theopoetics of Thanksgiving Food Rituals with Dr. Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus

At the Arts Lunch on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, Dr. Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus presented "A Theopoetics of Thanksgiving Food Rituals: The Myth-making Power of Meals as Midrash.” [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmCdEUZ2CG4[/embed] Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus is Professor of Religion and Henrietta Jennings Faculty Chair for Outstanding Teaching at Wheaton College (MA). He is the author of Gastronomic Judaism as Culinary Midrash (Lexington Press, Dec., 2018) and has published numerous articles on food rituals and Jewish food in the Proceed­ings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, Studies in Jewish Civilization, and other journals, and has translated Rabbenu Bahya ben Asher’s fourteenth-century Hebrew mystical manual on food, Shulhan Shel Arba (Table of Four) into English which is available online. He has regu­larly taught “The Rituals of Dinner” First Year Seminar at Wheaton for over twenty years, as well as courses such as Gender and Violence in the Bible, Intro. to Comparison of Religions, Smells and Bells: The Sensual Dimension of Religions, and Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Well-Being from a Comparative Religious Perspective. He regularly stages meal rituals at home and at Wheaton and other places, even virtually. He’s currently working on a book on the myths and meal rituals of American Thanksgiving. He holds a PhD in Religious Studies (New Testa­ment) from Vanderbilt, and is ordained as Reconstructionist Rabbi. He lives, cooks, eats, and gardens with his wife Maia, an elementary school teacher in Providence, RI. You may know him best as Max Brumberg-Kraus’ dad.

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November 6, 2021

Arts Lunch Conversation with Artivist Daniel Arzola

On Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, artist Daniel Arzola spoke to the Arts Lunch about his theory of artivism and his work as a visual artist and human rights activist. Arzola’s work addresses homophobia and transphobia, as well as issues related to immigration. He has delivered talks and exhibited his work in Europe and the Americas. Arzola's work is currently on display in the United gallery. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOL8V6pYWMM[/embed]

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November 6, 2021

The Boy Who Found Gold: A Conversation with Father Bill McNichols

On Thursday, October 14th, the United community gathered for a screening of the documentary The Boy Who Found Gold (2016), followed by a conversation with Father Bill. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6AZovgwdEE[/embed]   "William Hart McNichols is a world renowned artist, heralded by Time magazine as 'among the most famous creators of Christian iconic images in the world.'  As a young Catholic priest from 1983-1990 he was immersed in a life-altering journey working as a chaplain at St. Vincent's AIDS hospice in New York city. It was during this time that he became an early pioneer for LGBT rights within the Catholic church. He would speak out in the national news as well as work closely with the founding members of DIGNITY/USA. In 1990 he was called out of the city and into the desert of New Mexico where he began a six year apprenticeship to master the ancient art of painting icons. For the past 25 years he has received non-stop commissions for his work and has never signed his name to a single icon. All of his works hang anonymously in churches and colleges around the world, including the Vatican Museum. Born into the most powerful political family in the history of Colorado, McNichols colorful life has crossed paths with both presidents and popes, peace activists and martyrs. His imagery possesses a sensuality that is both beautiful and provocative and his subjects include individuals from all different faiths, Catholic, Muslim, Protestant, Jewish. His message as a priest, artist and man speaks to the most powerful element of the human spirit: Mercy.” (theboywhofoundgold.com)   

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October 14, 2021

A Different Kind of Theology: Fiction, Imagination, and New Realities with Bryan Bliss

On Tuesday, October, 12th, 2021, novelist and current UTS student, Bryan Bliss spoke to the Arts Lunch about fiction and its power to heal and transform. "Fiction has always had a theological bent. On a basic level, fiction introduces us to new realities. For the writer and the reader, it helps us to see the world differently—to imagine a different world. When we are asked to read fiction theologically, we engage the text in a new way—one that asks us to confront theological biases, to adapt our dogma to these new realities in a way that might push us outside of traditional or orthodox religious beliefs. The result is more than just good literature: it’s the opportunity for transformation." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R41IyjUgaE4[/embed] Bryan Bliss is the author of four novels, including We’ll Fly Away, which was longlisted for the 2018 National Book Award and was a Finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. His next book, Bad Things, Good People, and God, will be released in January. He holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Seattle Pacific University, an M.T.S. from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry degree at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He lives in St. Paul with his family.  

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September 21, 2021

The Good Shepherd: Image, Meaning, and Power with Dr. Jennifer Awes Freeman

On Tuesday September 21, 2021, United professor Jennifer Awes Freeman shared an overview of her new book, The Good Shepherd: Image, Meaning, and Power, with the Arts Lunch. The book traces the motif of the Good Shepherd and its imperial invocations from origins in the ancient Near East to its waning in the European Middle Ages. A more official event will be announced for the spring, so stay tuned! [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R41IyjUgaE4[/embed]

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September 19, 2021

Theology of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Clearance Level 10) with Dustin Wilsor

On Tuesday, September 14th, the Arts Lunch found the Sacred in the Secular by exploring the mythological themes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Current United student, Dustin Wilsor theorizes that these blockbuster movies may serve as a kind of modern-day parable by paralleling them with the foundational mythological themes of major world religions. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrCNt9DyZG4[/embed]

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