Reflecting on Class Takeaways and Future Studies
PLT alum Tim Hartman of Columbia Theological Seminary recently taught a class entitled “Theology and Community: A Lived Theology Approach,” which studied the social consequences of religious belief by examining famous historical figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bonhoeffer. The class delved into past movements as well as more current ones in order to get a more nuanced perspective of lived theology.
Reflecting on his course, Professor Hartman stated:
“My students are hungry to see how theology makes a difference in the world. In Theology & Community: A Lived Theology approach, students explore the social consequences of religious belief through four case-studies: the Civil Rights movement in the U.S., Nazi Germany, the Rwandan genocide, and contemporary ‘stand your ground’ culture in the U.S. to learn some ways that the Christian faith has been used for both oppression and liberation.”
Since having taught this course, Professor Hartman was awarded a grant from the Louisville Institute which will allow him to study Christianity from a non-western perspective. His main project will be writing a book that is a theological introduction to Ghanaian theologian Kwame Bediako. He plans to spend the first six months of his sabbatical in Cape Town, South Africa, as a visiting scholar in the Department of Religion and Theology at the University of the Western Cape prior to visiting other African countries.
To read the full announcement detailing Professor Hartman’s sabbatical grant, click here.
Fellow travelers are scholars, activists, and practitioners that embody the ideals and commitments of the Project on Lived Theology. We admire their work and are grateful to be walking alongside them in the development and dissemination of Lived Theology.