Wake Forest University School of Divinity is a graduate, professional school that is Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook. Consistent with Wake Forest’s commitment to academic excellence and in the spirit of the University motto, Pro Humanitate, the School of Divinity prepares leaders informed by a theological understanding of vocation. Through imaginative courses and diverse programs of community engagement, students are equipped to be agents of justice, reconciliation, and compassion in Christian churches and other ministries.
As leaders we are called to offer responses of justice, reconciliation, and compassion to the diverse needs and challenges of the world. Justice is working to ensure that all of God’s creation can flourish. Reconciliation is seeking to heal the brokenness within and among communities as we are led into action by the Holy Spirit. Compassion is cultivating authentic, Christ-like concern for others to participate in healing and transformation.
The Gospel calls us to go out in the world, chanting, singing, speaking, and embodying God’s love. Whether you are considering congregational ministry, non-profit ministry, chaplaincy, social justice advocacy, vocations that engage science and religion, race and religion, peace-building, food, health and ecology, or another vocation, we invite and encourage new ideas and pastoral practices. Learning about and practicing ministry are not easy undertakings, especially in a world with ever-changing and always increasing need.
The School of Divinity seeks “to cultivate a community of learners that celebrates diverse religious, racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, and sexual identities and that fosters accessibility for all of its members.”
Theological commitments lead the faculty to identify language use as one way we embody and practice hospitality. We invite all members of our learning community to join us in paying attention to how we use language and in exploring new language practices that cultivate hospitality. Each faculty member approaches language in different ways depending on our areas of academic expertise and our individual theological perspectives and commitments. We write and speak with an awareness of the historical, political, and societal contexts out of which theological language emerges and how language can impact readers and listeners. Out of this diversity, faculty conversations about language are lively and vibrant. We invite students to participate in these intentional conversations and to learn to think theologically and creatively about language.
The following suggested practices represent academic expectations for language use in public speech and writing, including scholarly activity (lectures, presentations, discussions, handouts, and publications), communications (official and internal), and worship (sermons, liturgy, and music). The faculty offers these expectations in order to educate leaders who practice hospitality in a range of settings. Each faculty member is committed to discussing these expectations as they relate to course content and assignments and to including guidelines for classroom participation and written work in course syllabi.
Language About God
Theologians, ministers, and worship leaders have an opportunity to give voice to the variety and richness of God’s presence with God’s people. Language used in preaching and worship as well as in academic writing acknowledges and cultivates this richness when it explores diverse ways to write, speak, pray, and sing about and to God.
Examples:
Language about Creation and Humanity
Hospitable language acknowledges and affirms the value of all creation and the humanity of all people. While language about God is a theological choice, language about people needs to reflect standard grammatical practices of inclusivity.
Examples:
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