Vanderbilt Divinity School

06/23/2026

Interested in exploring the intersections of religion, gender, and sexuality with a cohort of peers?

Join our final Courageous Voices in Action cohort from September 2026 through May 2027! Courageous Voices in Action (CVA) is a cohort of 13-18 adults in the Nashville and Middle TN area who are interested in taking steps to advance LGBTQIA+ inclusion and thriving in religiously complex social and moral landscapes.

CVA is primarily intended for emerging leaders who desire the knowledge, skills, and relationships needed to be changemakers in their communities. You can find the interest form here: http://vu.edu/cva26.

CVA is a collaboration between the Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality and the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in the Professions.

06/22/2026

Meet Amy Bush, a recent graduate of the Mater of Theological Studies program with a certificate in Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture! She also holds the honor of the first Vanderbilt Divinity School graduate to complete the Asian Studies Certificate.

Her thesis is titled, “Swifties, Sisters, and Misters: Uncovering the Theological Practices of Pop Musicians.”

She shared that her favorite memory at VDS was sharing Wednesday morning worship. Amy will continue her studies by pursuing a Ph.D. in Religion and Culture
at SMU.

06/18/2026

“What James Lawson was doing in those nonviolent workshops in the basements of Nashville churches, training young people…was not simply teaching people how to endure abuse without fighting back. He was forming them into citizens of a world that did not yet exist.”

Taure Brown, Director of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements at Vanderbilt Divinity School, recently reflected on the legacy of Rev. James Lawson during NOAH - Nashville Organized for Action and Hope's Annual Banquet.

NOAH is a faith-led, multiracial, and interdenominational coalition working to build a more just Nashville.

Through the study of nonviolent strategy and leadership development, the James Lawson Institute carries forward Rev. Lawson’s vision by advancing research, fostering dialogue, and training the next generation of leaders.

06/16/2026

With summer at Vanderbilt now in full swing, it is a time of reflection for many Divinity students.

"Here is home for now. As I watch the graduates say their partings, I twist a little nervously. These people have become home," shared Audrey Fenstermaker-Rogers, a first-year M.Div. student.

Read more from Audrey's reflection and how she has been shaped by her first year of Divinity School

We’ve shifted here at Vanderbilt. The arboretum covers campus in green and the spring energy tantalizes as it builds summer humidity. The graduates have presented their theses at the Theses Fair, culminating years worth of soul-work and field education, community building, and the representation o...

06/15/2026

Congratulations to Nicholas Salako on graduating from Vanderbilt Divinity School!

Nicholas earned his Master of Divinity with a concentration in Chaplaincy. His capstone thesis, “Peace Be Still: A Theological Response to Crises and the Call to Hesychian Presence,” reflects his passion for compassionate care and theological reflection in moments of crisis.

After graduation, Nicholas plans to serve as a professional hospital chaplain.

“Vanderbilt Divinity School provided the critical bridge between theory and practice, offering me the 'theological wheels' and clinical rigor necessary to navigate high-acuity environments with care and presence,” said Nicholas. “The emphasis on 'practice, practice, practice' has been instrumental in preparing me for this vocation.”

06/12/2026

Earlier this week, members of the Divinity School community joined alumni and friends at the Tennessee-Western Kentucky United Methodist Annual Conference.

Attendees heard from Divinity faculty and staff, connected with current students and alumni, and were joined by Bishop William McAlilly, who is serving as Vanderbilt Divinity School’s United Methodist Bishop-in-Residence. The gathering offered community members an opportunity to engage in conversation with leaders and friends from across the United Methodist community amid the ongoing work of the conference.

06/11/2026

Meet our next Class of 2026 graduate, Christy Brown! Christy earned her Master of Divinity with concentrations in Chaplaincy, Spirituality and Social Justice, and Black Religion and Culture Studies. Her thesis, “How Empathetic Listening Skills and Story-Sharing Can Create Space for Unity between Conservative and Progressive Christians – And Why it Matters,” reflects her commitment to fostering understanding, compassion, and connection across differences.

She is currently pursuing ordination in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and chaplaincy certification through ACPE. While she hopes to continue chaplaincy work beyond hospital and hospice settings, her long-term goal is to unite her passion for chaplaincy with her love for the church by discovering new ways pastoral care and counseling can help congregations become more accessible and welcoming to alienated populations.

06/10/2026

Meet Antionette Ballard, who received her D.Min. in Integrative Mental Health Chaplaincy. Her Capstone project was “A Womanist Praxis of Bearing Witness to Unseenism: A Theo-ethical approach to Liberative Healing.”

Antionette will continue her ministerial work as a Department of Veterans Affairs Board Certified, Clinical Mental Health Chaplain at the Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, VA.

“Vanderbilt Divinity School deepened and expanded my understanding of my role in God's plan for humanities Healing and Wholeness. Coursework and Collegiality provided the space and opportunity to heighten my understanding and preparation to do the work my soul must have as a Board Certified, Clinical Mental Health Chaplain,” Antionette said.

06/08/2026

Heather-Elizabeth earned her Master of Divinity with concentrations in Religion, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Black Church Studies. She also completed certificates through the Carpenter Center in Religion, Gender and Sexuality Studies and the Kelly Miller Smith Institute in Black Church Studies.

Her capstone project was titled, “Sacrifices at the Altar of Glory: An Exploration of Beauty and Adornment as Vital Vehicles for Aesthetic Agency, Sacred Subversion, and the Holy Spirit’s Power to Transform the Physical Presence of Black Women into a Landscape of Divine Resistance and Aesthetic Glory.”

"Being in community, not only with our professors, who are trailblazers in the Black
Church, Womanist Theology, and Social Justice, but also other giants in ministry and Social Justice, was transformational for me,” she shared. “My vocational clarity was sharpened, and my calling was affirmed and confirmed. I cannot say enough about how our professors were so intentional about ensuring that we had a meaningful and impactful experience.”

After graduation, Heather-Elizabeth plans to continue working in congregational ministry as a theologian-in-residence and community engagement liaison. Her ministry is rooted in beauty politics, Black femininity, popular culture and ontological reclamation.

06/03/2026

Say hello to Kim House, recent Divinity School Doctor of Ministry in Integrative Chaplaincy graduate. Kim’s project was titled” Spiritual Life Mapping: A Modality leading to Spiritual Flourishing for Women Veteran Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma.”

She plans to continue offering spiritual life mapping retreats and workshops, enhancing spiritual flourishing for Veterans with sexual trauma, and to promote greater awareness to churches and communities of the spiritual disconnection for many who still suffer in silence.

She shares that VDS “promoted the place of the chaplain to enhance our knowledge skills and experiences with evidence-based practices and impactful theologies that enhance biopsychosocial and spiritual healing."