Emilie Townes becomes Dean at Vanderbilt

Here is the beautiful and powerful service which marked the beginning of Emilie Townes’ tenure as dean of the Vanderbilt Divinity School. It reminds me of why I’m in theological education in the first place, and why I care so passionately about the future of communities of faith.

Her own talk begins about an hour in, at about 1:18 or so she notes:

I urge us to not live off the dividends of a status quo faith or a below market interest rate of scholarship

And about 1:24 or so she proclaims:

It's up to us to move beyond a ritualized, sterilized, codified, cul de sac society that is on a death march to annihilation; to one that respects others and the rest of creation and puts that respect into action.