News

In time for Christmas gift giving or for your own reading, Elements of Grace by Barkley S. Thompson, MDiv '03 is due out this month. Published by Trinity Books, Elements of Grace includes Thompson's meditations which combine stories from Scripture and stories from everyday life.

The Episcopal Church Foundation has awarded a fellowship to the Rev. Al Rodriguez, Southwest alumnus and rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, Austin, for his project, The American Latino Outreach (ALEO), which is focused on American born Latinos and those brought into this country as young children.

Seminary of the Southwest celebrated the installation of Cynthia Briggs Kittredge as its eighth dean and president with a Festival Eucharist for the Holy Spirit on Friday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m. at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Austin.  

Seminary trustees and members of the wider Church presented Dean Kittredge in the ceremony that drew over 300 alumni, students, family, and friends from sister seminaries and Episcopal institutions.

Welcoming new students, installing academic dean, honoring servant leader

On Sunday, September 8 the community and friends of Seminary of the Southwest gathered for Matriculation Evensong in Christ Chapel on the seminary campus.

Over 60 clergy and spouses from Province VII and throughout The Episcopal Church gathered at Seminary of the Southwest for the three-day 2013 Clergy Conference for Latino/Hispanic Ministries.

SEMINARY OF THE SOUTHWEST invites applicants for a full-time, tenure-track position in Church History to begin Fall of 2014. A seminary of The Episcopal Church, Southwest prepares Christian leaders for lay and ordained service within and outside the church. In addition to priestly formation and general academic study, the seminary houses special programs in Hispanic Church Studies, Counseling, Pastoral Care, and Spiritual Formation.

Seminary of the Southwest Professors Anthony Baker and Scott Bader-Saye have an appointment on June 24 with Dr. Rowan Williams, previous Archbishop of Canterbury and now master at Magdalene College at Cambridge University.  

Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, who has served as professor of New Testament since she joined the faculty in 1999 and as academic dean since 2010, began her tenure as dean and president of Seminary of the Southwest on June 1, 2013.

The Rev. Jane Patterson, Ph.D. has been appointed assistant professor of New Testament by action of the seminary’s Board of Trustees at its meeting on May 13, 2013.

Dean and President elect Cynthia Briggs Kittredge announced on Monday, April 22, her appointment of Dr. Scott Bader-Saye to academic dean beginning June 1, 2013, at Seminary of the Southwest.

Douglas Travis, dean and president of Seminary of the Southwest since June 2007 has announced his retirement. His last day of service will be May 31, 2013. In his message to the seminary community, Dean Travis expressed his joy at having led the seminary during a time of growth in enrollment and financial support during a time of health and great hope for the future.  “This has been an amazing ride and I have experienced enormous satisfaction in what we have accomplished together,” said Dean Travis.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

As the preacher famously put it, “for everything there is a season.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Seminary of the Southwest is about to enter a new season.

Please join us November 27th in the bookstore at 6:30pm. Charlie will be signing his new book "A History of the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest".

Book signing in Dining Hall November 27 and 28th from 7:00pm till 9:00pm

Dean and President Douglas Travis has announced the appointment of Chaplain (LTC) David M.  Scheider to lead the Center for Christian Ministry and Vocation (CCMV) beginning January 1, 2013 at Seminary of the Southwest.

You can now listen to the Seminary of the Soutwest's 2012 Advent meditations. This year's meditations can be found at:  ssw.edu/advent2012

Click here to read the summer 2012 issue of Ratherview: Our community's children help shape formation for ministry

You are cordially invited to attend 2012-13 Special Events

November 27 – 28, 2012

60^th Anniversary Lectures featuring the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, 26^th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church

Tuesday, November 27 schedule

Editor's note: This article first appeared in the March 2012 issue of Diolog: The Texas Episcopalian

Sixty years ago the diocese of Texas formally established Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. Southwest primarily has prepared men and women for parish and diocesan ministry; however, laity have found degrees and programs at Southwest to further their calls to minister in the world.

Episcopal Communicators presented three awards to Seminary of the Southwest for special achievement in church communication at the Communicators conference at Camp Kanuga on March 23, 2012. 

Ratherview, Summer 2011 won honorable mention for general excellence: magazine/periodical presented to Nancy Springer-Baldwin, editor; Vivify Creative, type & page compostion; and Kris Krieg & Laura Callender, photography.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Ratherview which is focused on forming leaders for Hispanic ministry. It features articles by faculty, alumni and one of our students, and much, much more.

Dr. Anthony D. Baker, Southwest's Clinton S. Quin Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, has a recent publication, Diagonal Advance, Perfection in Christian Theology. At the campus celebration for Tony's new book, he spoke to students, faculty, and staff, saying "This place has been an important contributor in working out this book. I'm grateful to all of you for what you've taught me and how your questions and our life together has influenced my thought."

http://bit.ly/su4o8x

The seminary community gathered for its weekly Community Hour on Monday, November 28; however, on this day the students and faculty celebrated with Professor Kathleen Russell on the occasion of completing and successfully defending her D.Min. project at nearby Austin Presbyterian Seminary.

Pictured below is Dr. Russell with M.Div. student, Clay Towles from the Diocese of Oklahoma.

Payne Lecture

Hosted by the Board of Trustees

February 9, 2012

James “Jay” Magness,

Bishop Suffragan for federal ministries

Harvey Lecture

Hosted by the students

March 26, 2012

Sam Wells

Dean of Duke University Chapel & Research Professor of Christian Ethics at Duke Divinity School

We hope you enjoy this issue of Ratherview. It includes articles focused on forming Christian leaders written by leaders in our community. In recognition and gratitude of their support, we include the Honor Roll of Donors. And much, much more.

Summer 2011 Ratherview