Tag: graduation

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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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February 4, 2025

2025 Commencement

You are invited to the 63rd Commencement Exercises of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Sunday, April 27, 2025 • 3:00 PM CT Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis Commencement Address [caption id="attachment_7874" align="alignleft" width="331"] Source: Union Theological Seminary[/caption] Rev. John J. Thatamanil, PhD—Professor of Theology & World Religions and Director of the Insight Project: Theology & Natural World at Union Theological Seminary—will serve as our 63rd Commencement speaker. Rev. Dr. Thatamanil teaches a wide variety of courses in the areas of comparative theology, theologies of religious diversity, Hindu-Christian dialogue, the theology of Paul Tillich, the theory of religion, process theology, and eco-theology. He is committed to the work of comparative theology—a theology that learns from and with a variety of traditions. A central question that drives his work is, “How can Christian communities come to see religious diversity as a promise rather than as a problem?” He is also committed to Dzogchen meditation and includes time for meditation in virtually all of his courses at Union. His first book is an exercise in constructive comparative theology. The Immanent Divine: God, Creation, and the Human Predicament. An East-West Conversation (Fortress Press, 2006) provides the foundation for a nondualist Christian theology worked out through a conversation between Paul Tillich and Sankara, the master teacher of the Hindu tradition of Advaita Vedanta. Circling the Elephant: A Comparative Theology of Religious Diversity (Fordham University Press, 2020), Professor Thatamanil’s second book, takes up the recent and extensive literature on the Western construction/invention of the category “religion” with the following questions in mind: If “religion” is a relatively recent invention of the modern West, then is the category applicable to non-Western cultures and traditions? Can we really divide the world up into a set of discrete world religions? Does it still make sense to ask if the world’s “religions” are paths up the same mountain or paths up different mountains? How should theologies of religious diversity be reconfigured in light of these new questions and challenges? A third book, provisionally titled Desiring Truth: Comparative Theology and the Quest for Interreligious Wisdom, is in the works. This book begins by interrogating our troubling post-truth moment: just how did we get here? Taking up an argument made by the late Foucault, Thatamanil argues that the answer partly lies in the modern commitment to separating desiring from knowing in the name of objectivity. By contrast, Buddhist and Hindu traditions insist that without rectifying our desires, there is no possibility of coming to the right knowing and genuine wisdom. Thatamanil turns to comparative theology as a resource for addressing a contemporary context rife with misinformation, conspiracy theories, and “alternative facts.” Professor Thatamanil is a past president of the North American Paul Tillich Society (NAPTS) and the founding (and current) Chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Theological Education Committee. He is a frequent preacher and lecturer in churches, colleges, and universities, both nationally and internationally. He also co-edits (with Dr. Loye Ashton) the “Comparative Theology: Thinking Across Traditions” book series for Fordham University Press. He blogs regularly for a variety of online publications and has published editorials in The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post. Gathering Commencement will be available in a hybrid format. Whether you intend to participate onsite or online, please sign up at the link below. Those who register to attend online will receive program and livestream links via email before the event. Those who attend onsite are invited to stay after to chat with our graduates at a reception. Questions? Contact Jen Bingen Buck via email or phone at 651-255-6162. Registration

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February 6, 2024

2024 Commencement

You are invited to the Annual Commencement Exercises of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Sunday, April 28, 2024 • 3:00 PM CT Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis Commencement Address Rev. Dr. R. Mitch Randall will serve as our Commencement speaker. Rev. Dr. Randall is the chief executive officer of Good Faith Media and, in addition to pastoring for more than 20 years in churches throughout the Great Plains, previously served as executive director at the Baptist Center of Ethics. Rev. Dr. Randall holds an MDiv with a concentration in Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a DMin degree from George W. Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas. Mitch is a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation and has ancestors reaching back to the McIntosh and Childers clans. Rev. Dr. Randall’s address is titled “Where the Buffalo Roam: Decolonization Sets Us Free.” Gathering Commencement will be available in a hybrid format. Whether you intend to participate onsite or online, please sign up at the link below. Those who register to attend online will receive program and livestream links via email before the event. Those who attend onsite are invited to stay after to chat with our graduates at a reception. Questions? Contact MJ Luna via email or phone at 651-255-6162. Registration

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