The Seminary Explores

Jean Howard-Green highlights the history, development and the present-day use of the Lincoln Cemetery in Gettysburg, PA. First used in 1867, it contains the graves of several Black men of Gettysburg who fought as members of the Colored Troops during the American Civil War.

As a native of Gettysburg, she shared that some members of her family are buried there as well. Serving as president of the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association, she described the responsibilities of that office as well as the on-going upkeep of the cemetery. The cemetery is private and therefore relies on contributions from the greater Gettysburg community.

Dr. Janet Powers, Professor Emerita of Interdisciplinary and Women's Studies specializing in Indian religion and literature at Gettysburg College joins Katy Giebenhain for a conversation about her book Kites Over the Mango Tree: Restoring Harmony Between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat. Powers is a certified conflict resolution mediator and has worked with women's peace-building organizations in India, Palestine, Israel, Haiti, South Africa, and Estonia. Her PhD is from University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has received many awards including a Peacemaker of the Year Award from the Interfaith Center for Peace and Justice, the inaugural Outstanding Contribution Award by Gettysburg Connection for Mediation Services of Adams County, and a YWCA Gettysburg Adams County Callie Award. Powers is the author of scholarly articles and poems as well as three books. You can also hear Dr. Powers speak about her experience of being a woman in academia on the Tell Us A Story podcast.

Mark Staples shares his reflections from his experiences as a photojournalist for the Lutheran Church in his newly published book, Neighbors Revisited: a church journalist’s life lessons learned from people of other cultures. He particularly focuses on his travels to several countries on the African continent and Asia in the 1980s. The catalyst for the book comes from Staples’ reading of Martin Luther’s writing on the neighbor and from Staples’ observation of the fear and hatred that is so prevalent within the United States and the world today. Staples listens attentively to the stories that people related to him. He describes the worship-life and hospitality to the stranger that had a profound effect throughout his travels. From these experiences, his worldview changed and expanded dramatically. Staples goes on to share his calling to this vocation and encourages young people to consider the profession of a photojournalist.

Dr. William Avery, Professor Emeritus of Stewardship and Parish Ministry, shares his thoughts on three top issues from the previous year, 2023: The Hamas-Israel conflict, the exit of from church participation, and clergy burnout. He reminds us that that the Middle East conflict is not recent but has its roots from the biblical period. From his years of teaching and research, Avery suggests that the membership in our American congregations started to decline in the early 1960s. Avery indicates that the issue of clergy burnout has developed from lack of communication between the clergyperson and the congregation. While these issues are troubling, Avery leaves the conversation with words of hope.

Dr. James Thomas, Retired Associate Professor of Worship Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary of Lenoir-Rhyne University, talks about his recent experience in teaching at the Good News Theological Seminary in Ghana. He shares his experience with students in the classroom as well as in the field experiences. Although he had been to Ghana previously, this experience exposed him to the deep division between Muslims and Christians. He also comments on his taking more time to listen to various individuals he encountered. In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Thomas talks about the various congregations he attended where he preached and taught during his semester of teaching. His comments on his experience and his suggestions to considering teaching on the African continent will be helpful to faculty members considering teaching there.

Lisa Erdman, Postdoctoral Scholar in the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at the Penn State College of Medicine, talks about her current teaching and the role of everyday objects in communication between patients and healthcare providers. Health humanities is an emerging, interdisciplinary field of study that examines how the arts and humanities can offer a deeper understanding of the illness experience and well-being in healthcare. An artist, educator, and researcher, Erdman holds a Doctorate of Arts from Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland. Her productions have received numerous awards, including funding from the Arts Council of Finland. She has participated in residencies at the Red Gate Gallery in Beijing, China, the Hungarian Multicultural Center in Budapest, and the Centre for Health Education Scholarship at the University British Columbia, Canada.

To learn more about the field of Health Humanities see the book, Health Humanities.

Author Joseph Bathanti (LSU Press, Mercer University Press)  details the writing program, Brothers and Sisters Like These, he and Dr. Bruce Kelly started at the Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina. 

Bathanti is a creative writing mentor for Carlow University’s MFA program. He is Professor of English at Appalachian State University, serving as the McFarlane Family Distinguished Professor of Interdisciplinary Education, as an affiliate faculty appointment in Appalachian Studies & The Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies, and as the Writer-in-Residence of Watauga Residential College. The author of many books including The Act of Contrition (short stories, 2023), he is a co-editor of The Anthology of Black Mountain College Poetry, which is forthcoming from University of North Carolina Press.

Joseph Bathanti grew up in Pittsburgh. He came to North Carolina in the mid-1970s as a VISTA volunteer to work with prison inmates. His degrees are from University of Pittsburgh and Warren Wilson College. He is a former poet laureate of North Carolina.

Watch the Brothers Like These film.

Andrew Taminger, a third-year seminarian at United Lutheran Seminary, talks about his attendance at the Lutheran World Federation Assembly (LWF) in Krakow, Poland. After a brief introduction to the history of the Federation, he continues by sharing his personal highlights of the Assembly along with some of the discussions including climate change, women’s rights, disabilities, and gender issues. He goes on to discuss the tensions that were present in the deliberations including the use of languages and the concerns of youth. He describes a youth strike that took place at the Assembly. He concludes the by sharing some of the seventeen resolutions that were passed for the ongoing work of the LWF.

Jane Nutter, the President of the Gettysburg Black History Museum, talks about the development of the museum. She emphasizes the fact that the museum goes beyond the presence of African Americans in Gettysburg during the Civil War. The museum highlights the Blacks in Gettysburg before, during, and after the War. She notes that the museum contains artifacts from various individuals and families of color including photographs, furniture, and documents. The community was enthusiastic to contribute to the collection. In a sense, due to segregation, the Black community established its own vibrant society and community life  that included its own American Legion, the Elks, and community events.

The Rev. Dr. James Cobb reflects on his 50 years of ordained ministry. He describes the congregations to which he had been called along with their significant contributions to ministry. Many of the years in the pastorate he shared as co-pastor with his wife, Pastor Judy Cobb. While he has been centered in parish ministry, he shares his involvement in the life of the church beyond the congregations such as a member the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In addition, he published several books which developed out of his life in the parish. Cobb goes on to describe the changes and challenges he has observed over the years in parish ministry. Although he is retired, Cobb shares his continued involvement in ministry through volunteer activities, interims, and supply preaching.