Center for Faith in Practice

The Center for Faith in Practice was created in 2001 to bring together the faculty with expertise in Bible, Theology, Ethics, Liturgy, Worship, Spirituality, and Feminist Studies, as well as the Seminary’s certificate programs in Black Ministries, Hispanic Ministries and Women’s Leadership. Establishment of the Center made explicit the Seminary’s emphasis on praxis, that is, understanding the dynamics of faith in an applied context. The Center has a particular focus on developing religious leaders in all of the ways and contexts that leadership may become manifest in faith communities, both traditional and informal.

Academic Programs

The Center’s faculty contributes courses in their specialist areas to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Ministry programs as well as the Black Ministries, Hispanic Ministries and Women’s Leadership certificate programs. Center faculty also provide leadership to the Seminary’s Cooperative Master of Divinity Program, which prepares students in basic courses in scripture, theology, ethics and ministry before they move on to other partner seminaries to complete their ordination degrees.

Faculty

With the Center’s strong emphasis on the relationship of scripture, theology and spirituality to our situation in the modern world, its faculty are involved in teaching, scholarship and educational engagement nationally and globally.

Participating as faculty in the center are:

Uriah Kim, is professor of Hebrew Bible with particular expertise in postcolonial study of the Bible. He has published two books in the area, one on King Josiah and one on King David.

Miriam Therese Winter, director of the Women’s Leadership Institute and conducts workshops in women’s leadership and applied spirituality throughout the world, and is an extensively published author and composer of music. Her recent innovative work on quantum spirituality is receiving wide recognition.

Heidi Hadsell, the President, is best known for her work in global and environmental ethics and her interest in ecumenism. She served as the Director of The Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland from 1997-2001.

Yehezkel Landau, Faculty Associate in Interfaith Relations and teaches in the areas of Hebrew Bible, Jewish spirituality and religious conflict and peacemaking. He is the Co-Founder of Open House in Ramle, Israel, a place dedicated to furthering peace and coexistence among Israeli Arabs and Jews. At Hartford Seminary, he leads weeklong intensive workshops on Building Abrahamic Partnerships that brings together Jews, Christians and Muslims for training in dialogue across religious faith.

Benjamin Watts, Faculty Associate in Religion and Community Life and director of the Black Ministries Program, teaches degree programs courses in Practices of Ministry and spirituality, and is Senior Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in New London

The Center for Faith in Practice, because all faculty teach courses that reflect its educational mission, will seek to have all faculty participate in its discussions of educational initiatives.