PTS Out and About

Schedule of Upcoming Engagements

Sept. 7
Erik Hoeke
First United Methodist Church, Franklin, Pa.
Preaching

Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28
Derek Woodard-Lehman
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Leading Westminster Seminars: “Living Faith: Everyday Ethics for Ordinary Christians”

Sept. 18
Tucker Ferda
Penn Hills Library, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Delivering Public Lecture on the Historical Jesus

Sept. 15-18
Cynthia Hale Women in Ministry Conference, Atlanta, Ga.
Admissions Representative Attending

Sept. 20
Daniel Frayer-Griggs
Henderson Leadership Conference, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Co-Leading Workshop: "Inclusion IS Worship: Making Space for People with Disabilities"

Sept. 22-24
L. Roger Owens
Fort Caswell Conference Center, Oak Isle, NC
Leading Retreat for Retired Pastors: “Return to Me: Living Contemplatively at Every Stage of Life”

Sept. 26
Donna Giver-Johnston
Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Leading seminar on “Visitation Practices for Caring Ministries”

Sept. 26-28
Jesus & Justice Conference, Lansing, Mich.
Admissions Representative Attending

Sept. 28
Edwin Chr. van Driel
Installation Service, Oakmont Presbyterian Church, Oakmont, Pa.
Preaching

Sept. 28; Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26; Nov. 2
Bala Khyllep
Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Leading Shadyside Mission Education Series: “One Body, Many Places: Partnering with Global Neighbors in Christ”

Oct. 1
Grove City College Fair, Grove City, Pa.
Admissions Representative Attending

Oct. 5
Erik Hoeke
First United Methodist Church, Leechburg, Pa.
Preaching

Oct. 9
Edwin Chr. van Driel
Pastor's Appreciation Event, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Preaching

Oct. 10-12
Rafael Rodríguez
Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.
FCPC Men's 2025 Fellowship Retreat: "Wisdom from Above: Old Voices on New Questions"

Oct. 12 and 19
Erik Hoeke
Christ United Methodist Church, Bethel Park, Pa.
Teaching Faith and Justice Sunday School Class

Oct. 13-15
Erik Hoeke
Wee Kirk Conference, Laurelville Retreat Center, Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
Workshop Leader

Oct. 15-27
Donna Giver-Johnston
Pilgrimage with Pittsburgh Presbytery, Malawi
Preaching and leading sessions on the theme “Women in Leadership in the Church”

Oct. 17-18
Rafael Rodríguez
North Hills Christian Church
Teaching for NHCC Men's Retreat: "Old Made New: Thessalonian Ethics Today"

Oct. 19
Edwin Chr. van Driel
The Future of the Reformed Church in Switzerland Conference, Zeurich, Switzerland
Delivering Keynote: “Rethinking Church amidst the Ruins of Christendom”

Oct. 22
R. Drew Smith
Louisville Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky.
Keynote Greenhoe Lecturer: “When ‘Place’ Disappears: The Urban Poor, Social Transience, and Church Remoteness”

Oct. 25
Asa Lee
Annual Prayer Breakfast, Church of the Redeemer, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Speaking

Nov. 13-15
Edwin Chr. van Driel
Constructing an Incarnational Theology Conference, Princeton University, Princeton N.J.
Delivering Keynote: “Christ’s Gathering Work: Incarnation and Being With”

Nov. 21
Edwin Chr. van Driel
Annual Meeting of the Society for Post-Supersessionist Theology, Boston, Mass.
Presenting: “On Incarnation and Family: Supralapsarian Christological Resources for a Post-Supersessionist Theology”

Nov. 23
Daniel Frayer-Griggs
Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Boston, Mass.
Presenting in Johannine Literature Section: "On the Binding and Loosing of Lazarus"

Nov. 23
Tucker Ferda
Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Boston, Mass.
Presiding Over a New Testament Panel

Nov. 25
Edwin Chr. van Driel
Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Boston, Mass.
Responding to a Book Panel on The Incarnation as God’s First Intention

Dec. 2
R. Drew Smith
Black Theology and Leadership Institute Keynote Lecturer: “From Pulpit to Public Square: Pastoral Strategies for Faithful Resistance”
Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N.J.

Dec. 4-6
Donna Giver-Johnston
Presenting a paper “Preaching from the Margins”
Academy of Homiletics, Richmond, Va.

BIBLICAL STUDIES

Old Testament

Ancient Near Eastern Literature (Russaw)
Book of Psalms (Creach)
Extrabiblical Texts and What They Tell Us about Biblical Israel (Tappy)
History and Literature of Second Temple Judaism (Ferda)
Old Testament Prophets and Justice (Creach)
Pentateuch (Russaw)
Wisdom Literature (Creach)

New Testament

Apocalyptic Literature (Frayer-Griggs)
Epistle to the Romans (Rodríguez)
Epistles to the Thessalonians (Rodríguez)
Life and Thought of Paul (Rodríguez, Ferda)
Life of Jesus and the Gospels (Ferda, Frayer-Griggs)
Miracles of Jesus (Frayer-Griggs)
Parables of Jesus (Hancock)
Paul within Judaism (Rodríguez)
New Testament Exegesis and History of Interpretation (Ferda)
Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins (Rodríguez, Ferda)

Biblical Interpretation and Study

Bible Study in the Church and Theological Formation (Ferda)
Biblical and Theological Library Research Methods (Russell)
Biblical Interpretation for Christian Life and Practice (Hancock)
Feminist and Womanist Biblical Interpretation (Russaw)
History of Biblical Interpretation (Ferda, Woo)

Biblical Themes

Bible and/in Popular Culture (Russaw)
Bible and Ecology (Frayer-Griggs)
Bible and Mission (Hagley)
Call to Preach (Giver-Johnson)
Disability and Healing in the Bible (Frayer-Griggs)
Violence in the Bible (Creach)
Women in the Bible (Russaw, Giver-Johnson)

History of the Bible

Ancient Near Eastern Literature (Russaw)
Biblical and Ancient Near East Archaeology (Tappy)
Extrabiblical Texts and What They Tell Us about Biblical Israel (Tappy)
History and Literature of Second Temple Judaism (Ferda)
History of Biblical Interpretation (Ferda, Woo)
History of the Ancient Near East and the Religions of Israel (Tappy)
Northwest Semitic Languages (Creach, Tappy)
The Tel Zayit Abecedary and the Origins of the Alphabet (Tappy)

CHRISTIAN HISTORY

Christian Origins

Christianity from Late Antiquity to Present (Woo)
History of the Ancient Near East and the Religions of Israel (Tappy)
Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins (Ferda, Rodríguez)

Christian Traditions and Movements

African American Religious Experiences (Mingo)
Anglican/Episcopal Tradition and Theology (Fischer)
Asian-American History and Theological Perspectives (Woo)
Christianity from Late Antiquity to Present (Woo)
Christianity in Post-Christendom (Burgess, Hagley)
Civil and Human Rights Struggles (Mingo)
Decoloniality (Ramsey)
Histories of Preaching (Carner)
History of Black Oratory (Carner)
History of African American Methodism (Hoeke, Mingo)
History of Women Preachers in 19th Century America (Giver-Johnson)
John Calvin and the Reformed Tradition (Woo)
Methodist/Wesleyan History and Theology (Anschutz, Hoeke)
Modern Latin American Christianity (Ramsey)
Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Ramsey)
The Barmen Declaration and the Confessing Church (Burgess)
Theology of Martin Luther (Woo)
World Christianity and Borderlands Religion (Ramsey)

THEOLOGY

Christian Theological Methods

African American Contextual Theology (Lee, Mingo)
Anglican/Episcopal Tradition and Theology (Fischer)
Asian American History and Theological Perspectives (Woo)
Black Theology and Womanism (Riggle Young, Mingo)
Embodied Theology and Transformative Movement (Hoover)
Ethics and Public Theology (Mingo, Woodard-Lehman)
Feminist Theology (Riggle Young, Giver-Johnston)
Liberation Theology (Riggle Young, Mingo)
Methodist/Wesleyan History and Theology (Anschutz, Hoeke)
Reformed Confessions (Burgess)

Topical Theology

Epistemology (Carner)
Eschatology (K. Smith)
Embodied Theology and Transformative Movement (Hoover)
Ethics and Public Theology (Mingo, Woodard-Lehman)
Practical Theodicy: What Do Christians Do When Bad Things Happen? (Hancock)
Practical Theology (Gibson)
Race and Religion (Baker, Fischer, Mingo, D. Smith)
Sacraments (Burgess)
Spiritual Freedom (Burgess)

Notable Theologians

Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Burgess)
John Calvin and the Reformed Tradition (Woo)
Theology of Karl Barth (Burgess)
Theology of Martin Luther (Woo)

CHURCH AND SOCIETY

Christian Ethics

Christian Perspectives on War and Peace (Burgess)
End-of-Life Ethics (Hoeke)
Ethics and Public Theology (Mingo, Woodard-Lehman)
Faith and Public Life (Baker, Mingo, D. Smith)
Moral Leadership (Mingo)
Religious Social Ethics (Mingo)

Christian Mission

Church Innovation for Our New Missional Era (Anschutz, Hagley)
Congregational Mission and Leadership (Anschutz, Hagley, Khyllep, Owens)
Cultural Humility and Cross-Cultural Communication (Khyllep)
Evangelism (Hagley)
Missions History (Hagley)
Nurturing a Missional Mindset Through Global Worship Music (K. Smith)
Short-term Mission (Khyllep)
The Bible and Mission (Hagley)
World Mission and Justice (Khyllep)

Justice, Activism, and Advocacy

Anti-racism (Woodard-Lehman)
Capitalism and Christian Witness (Hagley)
Christian Perspectives on War and Peace (Burgess)
Christianity and Nationalism (Burgess)
Christianity, Race, and Class (Fischer, D. Smith)
Civil and Human Rights Struggles (Mingo)
Community Mental Health (Gibson)
Criminal Justice (Woodard-Lehman)
Cultural Humility and Cross-Cultural Communication (Khyllep)
Decoloniality (Ramsey)
Educational Diversity (Riggle Young)
Faith and Public Life (D. Smith, Mingo)
Information Literacy (Russell)
John Calvin and Civil Disobedience (Hancock)
Moral Leadership (Mingo)
Popular Media and Constructions of Race and Gender (Mingo)
Religion, Race, and Resistance: African American Religious Experiences (Mingo)
Religion and Politics (Woodard-Lehman)
Religion and Social Movements (Mingo, Riggle Young, D. Smith)
Rhetoric of Social Movements (Carner)
Trauma: Individual Trauma, Cultural Trauma, Group Trauma (Gibson)
Women and Social Protest Movements (Mingo)

CONGREGATIONAL MINISTRY

Pastoral Care

Being Christian in a Post-Christian Era (Burgess, Hagley)
Community Mental Health (Gibson)
Conflict in Congregations (Fuller)
Grief, Loss, and Recovery (Fuller, Gibson, Nolin)
Family Systems Theory and Congregational Life (Fuller)
Pastoral Care in Preaching and Worship (Giver-Johnson)
Pastoral Ministry (Anschutz, Baker, Giver-Johnson)
Practical Theodicy: What Do Christians Do When Bad Things Happen? (Hancock)
Trauma: Individual Trauma, Cultural Trauma, Group Trauma (Gibson)

Preaching

Art and Practice of Preaching (Homiletics) (Baker, Carner, Hancock, Lee, Giver-Johnson)
Call to Preach (Giver-Johnson)
History of African American Preaching and Sacred Proclimation (Carner)
History of Folk Preaching (Carner)
History of Women Preachers in 19th Century America (Giver-Johnson)
Pastoral Care in Preaching and Worship (Giver-Johnson)
Preaching in a Global Context (Khyllep)
Roundtable Pulpit Bible Study (Giver-Johnson)

Worship and Liturgy

Baptism and Eucharist (Burgess)
Children in Worship (Giver-Johnson)
Congregational Song, Corporate/Liturgical Prayer (K. Smith)
Christian Worship and the Sacraments (Fischer)
Christian Worship, Sacraments, and the Arts (Hancock)
History of Christian Worship (Burgess)
Liturgical Dance and Theory (Hoover)
Pastoral Care in Preaching and Worship (Giver-Johnson)
Taizé-style Worship (K. Smith)
Teaching through Sacred Music (K. Smith)
Writing and Reimagining Liturgy (Giver-Johnston)
Worship Through Embodied Prayer (Hoover)

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP

Christian Formation and Spirituality

Baptism and Eucharist (Burgess)
Bible Study in the Church and Theological Formation (Ferda)
Coaching and Spiritual Direction (Teter)
Community and Systems Analysis for Christian Praxis (Gibson)
Congregational Discernment (Anschutz, Owens)
Contemplative Spirituality (Owens)
Field Education (Washburn)
Liturgical Dance as Spiritual Practice (Hoover)
Spiritual Formation (Lee, Owens, Teter, Nolin)
Spirituality for Christian Leadership (Owens)
Theological Education (Lee, Giver-Johnson)
Vocational Discernment and Call (Teter)

Leader Care and Clergy Burnout

Coaching and Spiritual Direction (Teter)
Congregational Discernment (Anschutz, Owens)
Conflict in Congregations (Fuller)
Contemplative Spirituality (Owens)
Leadership (Anschutz, Baker)
Spirituality for Christian Leadership (Owens)
Trauma: Individual Trauma, Cultural Trauma, Group Trauma (Gibson)
Vocational Discernment and Call (Teter)

Practical Tools for Ministry

Art and Practice of Preaching (Homiletics) (Baker, Carner, Hancock, Lee, Giver-Johnson)
Church Communications and Outreach (Anschutz, Washburn)
Coaching and Spiritual Direction (Teter)
Community and Systems Analysis for Christian Praxis (Gibson)
Community Mental Health (Gibson)
Conflict in Congregations (Fuller)
Congregational Mission and Leadership (Anschutz, Hagley, Khyllep)
Cultural Humility and Cross-Cultural Communication (Khyllep)
Curriculum Writing (Washburn)
Field Education (Washburn)
Leadership (Baker)
Moral Leadership (Mingo)
Pastoral Ministry (Anschutz, Baker, Giver-Johnson)
Practical Theodicy: What Do Christians Do When Bad Things Happen? (Hancock)
Race, Racism, and Intercultural Competency Development (Teter)
Roundtable Pulpit Bible Study (Giver-Johnson)
Spirituality for Christian Leadership (Owens)
Social Justice (Mingo, Woodard-Lehman)
Stewardship (Cranston, Fischer)
Teaching Through Sacred Music (K. Smith)
Theological Research and Librarianship (Russell)
Trauma: Individual Trauma, Cultural Trauma, Group Trauma (Gibson)

Addressing Contemporary Issues

Anti-racism (Woodard-Lehman)
Being Christian in a Post-Christian Era (Burgess, Hagley)
Capitalism and Christian Witness (Hagley)
Christian Perspectives on War and Peace (Burgess)
Christianity, Race, and Class (Fischer, D. Smith)
Christianity and Nationalism (Burgess)
Christianity and U.S. Foreign Policy (D. Smith)
Church and Politics in Russia and Ukraine (Burgess)
Criminal Justice (Woodard-Lehman)
Decoloniality (Ramsey)
Popular Media and Constructions of Race and Gender (Mingo)
Religion and Politics (Woodard-Lehman)
Rhetoric of Social Movements (Carner)
Trauma: Individual Trauma, Cultural Trauma, Group Trauma (Gibson)
Women in Ministry (Giver-Johnson)

Revitalization and Adaptive Ministry

Adaptive and Missional Leadership (Anschutz, Hagley, Owens)
Developing New Faith Communities (Anschutz, Hagley, Teter)
Community and Systems Analysis for Christian Praxis (Gibson)
Congregational Discernment (Anschutz, Hagley, Owens, Teter)
Congregational Revitalization (Anschutz, Hagley)
Conflict in Congregations (Fuller)
Small Church Ministry (Anschutz, Washburn)
Spirituality for Christian Leadership (Owens)
Vocational Discernment/Call (Teter)

Contextual Ministry

Being Christian in a Post-Christian Era (Burgess, Hagley)
Capitalism and American Christianity (Hagley)
Christianity, Race, and Class (Fischer, D. Smith)
Developing New Faith Communities (Anschutz, Hagley, Teter)
Religion, Race, and Resistance: African American Religious Experiences (Mingo)
Small Church Ministry (Washburn)
Sociology of Urban Religion (D. Smith)
Trauma: Individual Trauma, Cultural Trauma, Group Trauma (Gibson)

Speaker Contact Information

Jessica Anschutz
Director of the Center for Adaptive and Innovative Ministry

412-924-1412

William A. Baker IV
Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Continuing Education

412-924-1385

John P. Burgess
James Henry Snowden Professor of Systematic Theology

412-924-1430

Jennifer L. Carner
Director of the Preaching in a Post-Christian Age Initiative, Visiting Assistant Professor of Preaching

412-924-1468

Carolyn Cranston
Director of Alumnae/i and Church Relations

412-924-1375

Jerome F. D. Creach
Robert C. Holland Professor of Old Testament

412-924-1428

Tucker Ferda
Associate Professor of New Testament

412-924-1391

Charles L. Fischer III
Vice President for Seminary Advancement

412-924-1362

Dan Frayer-Griggs
Assistant Professor of Biblical Exegesis and Director of the Center for Writing and Learning Support

412-924-1454

Leanna K. Fuller
Joan Marshall Associate Professor of Pastoral Care

412-924-1459

Danjuma Gibson
Professor of Practical Theology and Psychology

412-924-1416

Donna Giver-Johnston
Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program

412-924-1421

Scott J. Hagley
W. Don McClure Associate Professor of World Mission and Evangelism

412-924-1399

Angela Dienhart Hancock
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Howard C. Scharfe Associate Professor of Homiletics

412-924-1453

Erik Hoeke
Director of Continuing Education

412-924-1346

Josie Hoover
Director of Human Resources

412-924-1420

Bala Khyllep
Acting Director of the World Mission Initiative

412-924-1364

Asa J. Lee
President and Professor of Theological Formation for Ministry

412-924-1366

AnneMarie Mingo
Associate Professor of Ethics, Culture, and Moral Leadership and Director of the Metro-Urban Institute

412-924-1401

Eric Nolin
Admissions Counselor

412-924-1365

L. Roger Owens
Hugh Thomson Kerr Professor of Pastoral Theology

412-924-1458

Ryan Ramsey
Visiting Assistant Professor of History and World Christianity

412-924-1355

Tracy Riggle Young
Associate Dean of Enrollment Management

412-924-1423

Rafael Rodríguez
Professor of New Testament

412-924-1456

Kimberly Russaw
Associate Professor of Old Testament

412-924-1407

Mark C. Russell
Research and Instruction Librarian

412-924-1393

R. Drew Smith
Henry L. Hillman Professor of Urban Ministry

412-924-1457

Kendra Buckwalter Smith
Director of the Worship Program

412-924-1419

Ron E. Tappy
G. Albert Shoemaker Professor Emeritus of Bible and Archaeology and Director of The Zeitah Excavations

412-924-1427

Ayana Teter
Associate Dean for Students and Formation

412-924-1398

Edwin Chr. van Driel
Directors' Bicentennial Professor of Theology

412-924-1425

Sue Washburn
Interim Director of Field Education

412-924-1383

Kenneth Woo
Associate Professor of Church History

412-924-1350

Derek Woodard-Lehman
Director of the Miller Summer Youth Institute

412-924-1368