by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service
Two professors at seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) will receive grants from the
Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in partnership
with the Lilly Endowment. Dr. Lois M. Farag, assistant
professor of early church history at Luther Seminary, St.
Paul, Minn., will receive a Theological Scholars Grant for
the project "The Balance of the Heart: Desert Spirituality
for Twenty-First Century Christians." Dr. Martha E. Stortz,
professor of historical theology and ethics, Pacific
Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif., will
share a Collaborative Research Grant with Dr. Lisa A.
Fullam, assistant professor of moral theology, Jesuit School
of Theology at Berkeley, for "The Progress of Pilgrimage:
Post-Modern Forms of an Ancient Practice." Theological
Scholars Grants are up to $12,000, and Collaborative
Research Grants are up to $16,000. ATS awarded 24 grants
for 2009-2010.
Farag is a nun of the Coptic Orthodox Church. She's a
graduate of American University, Cairo, Egypt. She earned
a master of divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School,
Cambridge, Mass., and a doctorate from the Catholic
University of America, Washington, D.C. Farag will use
the grant to study ancient spiritual writings. "The
writings of the desert fathers and mothers of Egypt will
inspire 21st century Christians in a world that is
desperately seeking spirituality. This grant has given
me a fantastic opportunity to carry the research within
its desert context," she said. Farag will conduct her
research in four Egyptian libraries.
Stortz is a graduate of Carleton College, Northfield, Minn.
She earned a master's degree and doctorate from the
University of Chicago. "Our project germinated on Mount
Kilimanjaro in July 2008," she wrote with Fullam on their
blog. Their project will explore the influence ancient
spiritual practices have on post-modern pilgrims. They
plan to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Europe,
and they'll join a Jesuit immersion experience in El
Salvador and a Lutheran immersion experience in Mexico
City.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
