Virginia Theological Seminary

Today, Senior Vice President Nicky Burridge, Chief of Staff Taryn Habberley, and I will make the journey to New York. This is the day when Vanderbilt University formally opens the Close with a view to welcoming a hundred-plus undergraduates to New York next week. Technically, Vanderbilt University is the tenant, and The General Theological Seminary is the landlord. They are t...

We are living at an extraordinary time in terms of technological options. As I age I am deeply aware of how easy it is to get left behind by technology. We all know people who cannot find Netflix on their smart TV. So I am constantly experimenting with new possibilities. One that I am finding amazing is Wispr Flow. I have tried dictation inside Apple (sometimes for texts or s...

I hesitate to advertise things too far in advance, but the start of the semester has lots of cool things going on. I alluded to the Ecumenical and Interfaith conference yesterday. Today I want to highlight the Have Mercy Book Launch on September 1, 2026. This is not simply a very fine collection of essays that address our political moment, but it is also an occasion to honor ...

One joy of being at VTS is that you can get to hear from some of the most important speakers in the theological and ecumenical world. In honor of the retiring director of the Washington Theological Consortium, the Rev. Dr. Larry Golemon, VTS is hosting a conversation on Ecumenical Learning and Interfaith Dialogue. It will take place starting late afternoon on August 26 and fi...

I am still not sure what exactly caused the electricity outage yesterday afternoon, but the power went out across the entire campus. No internet, no AC, no electricity.

It is worth pausing and explaining our protocols in such an eventuality. We start by asking facilities to reach out to Dominican Power to ascertain a likely timeline. If it is likely to be brief, then w...