School of Theology Welcomes Two New Full-Time Faculty Members
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Boston University School of Theology Welcomes Two New Full-Time Faculty Members
Boston, MA – March 28, 2018 – Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) is pleased to announce the new appointment of two full-time faculty members, beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year. Rev. Dr. Shively T. J. Smith will join the faculty as an Assistant Professor of New Testament, and Dr. Nicolette Manglos-Weber will join as Assistant Professor of Religion and Society.
Rev. Dr. Shively T. J. Smith joins the BUSTH faculty from Wesley Theological Seminary, where she previously served as Assistant Professor of New Testament. She received her MDiv from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, her ThM from Columbia Theological Seminary, and her PhD from Emory University. She is a well-published biblical interpreter through exegetical essays, lectionary resources, and social-cultural interpretations of biblical texts. She is a sought-after public teacher, speaker, and preacher and itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church where she serves as resident scholar at the historic, Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC. Rev. Dr. Smith writes and teaches on all books of the New Testament, but her specialized focus is on the traditions of Peter, diaspora studies, African-American and womanist approaches to the Bible, and biblical theology and ethics about the treatment of historically marginalized and vulnerable populations and local and global hospitality to strangers.
Rev. Dr. Smith’s research trajectory is evident in her book Strangers to Family: Diaspora and 1 Peter’s Invention of God’s Household, which exemplifies her interdisciplinarity, arguing that 1 Peter represents an early Christian discourse on diaspora existence that betrays a double conscious social strategy prevalent within Hellenistic Jewish discourses (e.g., Daniel court tales, Letter of Aristeas, and Philo’s writings). Her research contributes to New Testament studies and also to emerging discourses on diaspora and immigration, marginality and power, and cross-cultural identities and conversations. More information on Rev. Dr. Smith’s research can be found on her website at shivelysmith.com.
Dr. Nicolette Manglos-Weber joins the BUSTH faculty from Kansas State University, where she most recently held the position of Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work. She received her MA and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, both in the area of Sociology. As a sociologist, she has studied religion, political sociology, immigration, and international development, and she is an expert in research design. Dr. Manglos-Weber studies the connections between religion and global inequalities, with a particular interest in how positive social transformation can be effected in and through religious practice. She also writes about sociological theories of motivation, trust, and identity.
Dr. Manglos-Weber’s main sociological research focuses on religious congregations and communities in postcolonial Africa and among immigrants in the United States. Her first book, Joining the Choir: Religious Memberships and Social Trust among Transnational West Africans, was published in March 2018 by the Oxford University Press. The book analyzes religious communities of transnational Ghanaians and explores issues of identity and social trust. Through her research, Dr. Manglos-Weber discovers that religious membership for these transnational immigrants provides a portable basis of social trust, on which they rely as they negotiate their identities and aspirations. More information on Dr. Manglos-Weber’s research can be found on her website nmanglosweber.weebly.com.
“We are thrilled that these two outstanding scholars and teachers will join our world-class faculty,” said Rev. Dr. Mary Elizabeth Moore, Dean of the Boston University School of Theology. Drs. Smith and Manglos-Weber are both generative as teachers and ground-breaking in scholarship, while also being committed to active service in the School of Theology, BU, and the larger community. Faculty and students welcome them with joy.”
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Since 1839, Boston University School of Theology has been preparing leaders to do good. A seminary of the United Methodist Church, Boston University School of Theology is a robustly ecumenical institution that welcomes students from diverse faith traditions who are pursuing a wide range of vocations – parish ministry, conflict transformation, chaplaincy, campus ministry, administration, non-profit management, social work, teaching, justice advocacy, peacemaking, interfaith dialogue, and more. Our world-renowned faculty and strong heritage help students nurture their academic goals and realize any ministry imaginable. For more information, please visit www.bu.edu/sth.
STH New faculty members 3-28-18 FINAL