The Lived Theology and
Community Building Workgroup
Meeting Highlights
- First Meeting
Charlottesville, VA
December 15-17, 2000 - Second Meeting
New York, NY
March 12-14, 2001 - Third Meeting
Los Angeles, CA
May 4-6, 2001 - Fourth Meeting
Charlottesville, VA
October 12-14, 2001
Purpose
The Workgroup on Lived Theology and Community Building was co-directed by Charles Marsh and Reverend Mark Gornik, respectively a theologian based in the academy and a theologian based in the community. This workgroup seeks to understand the influence of theological commitments and convictions on faith-based urban initiatives in community development.
The general purpose was to move beyond journalistic accounts of faith-based communities in order to bring theological clarity to this important and widely debated movement (which one Christian activist has called America's "quiet revolution") and to build bridges of cooperation and fellowship between academic theologians and grass-roots Christian activists.
Participants
- Wallace Best - Assistant Professor of African American Religious Studies (Harvard); Ph.D. (Northwestern University)
- Don Davis - Director of Urban Ministry Institute (World Impact, Inc.); Ph.D. Religion (Iowa School of Religion)
- Mark Gornik - Director of the City Seminary of New York; M.Div (Westminster Theological Seminary)
- Stephen Fowl - Associate Professor of Theology and Chair of Theology Department (Loyola College); Ph.D. (University of Sheffield)
- Amy Laura Hall - Assistant Professor of Theological Ethics (Duke Divinity School); Ph.D. (Yale University)
- Omar McRoberts - Assistant Professor of Sociology (University of Chicago); Ph.D. Sociology (Harvard University)
- Christine Pohl - Associate Professor of Church in Society (Asbury Theological Seminary); Ph.D. (Emory University)
- Manuel Vasquez - Associate Professor of Religion (University of Florida); Ph.D. Religion and Social Sciences (Temple University)
- Heather Warren - Associate Professor of Religious Studies (University of Virginia); Ph.D. American Religious History (Johns Hopkins University)
Consultants
- John Milbank, Francis Ball Professor of Philosophical Theology, University of Virginia, author of Theology and Social Theory
- Laverne and Al Stokes, Executive Director and Assistant Director, Sandtown Habitat for Humanity, Baltimore, MD
- Rev. Ray Rivera, Executive Director, Latino Pastoral Action Center, NYC
- Lee Stuart, Lead Organizer, South Bronx Churches, NYC
- Mark Whitlock, Director, First AME Renaissance, Los Angeles, CA
- Fr. Greg Boyle, Priest, Delores Mission, Los Angeles, CA
- Rev. John Bob Park, Senior Pastor, Young-Nak Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, CA
- Amy Sherman, Senior Fellow, Welfare Policy Center, Hudson Institute and Urban Ministries Advisor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville, VA