Visiting Scholars

Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship
Visiting Scholar Program

Purpose:

• Provide a campus context for a new Ph.D. in Religion to experience a college community that actively nurtures the call of its students exploring church vocation.
• Provide the visiting scholar with a practical experience in which they gain exposure to the holistic nature of religious education, immersed in a United Methodist College which is truly developing leaders for the Church.
• Provide the visiting scholar experience with a model that supports students’ spiritual, intellectual, and emotional preparedness for ministry. Our goal is for the visiting scholar to bring religious vitality to the College or University where they later serve.
• Provide a time and place to finish their dissertation or prepare their dissertation for publication.
• Provide a network for visiting scholars to collaborate over the years.

Program Description:

Every two years a near-completion Ph.D. candidate in an area of religion is selected and is provided with a $20,000 fellowship and housing.

During the school year, the visiting scholar teaches in the undergraduate curriculum, participates with the faculty in the Social Sciences division, engages in an aspect of on-campus ministry in alignment with the visiting scholar's gifts, and works on the completion and/or publication of their dissertation.

Applications are taken by February 10 of each year. For more information, contact Cheryl Rude.

Visiting Scholar Application

Current Visiting Scholar:

Richie Clark Richie Clark is the 2024-2026 Institute for Discipleship Visiting Scholar. He is completing his work for his Ph.D. at the University of Manchester in collaboration with the Manchester Wesley Research Center. His dissertation thesis systematically presents and evaluates Henry Hammond’s Arminian soteriology.  At Southwestern College, he is supporting the academic work of the philosophy and religion department by teaching a class each semester and serving on the church relations committee in support of campus ministry needs.

History:

	We did not have a visiting scholar for the 2023-2024 school year.
	Abigail Woolley Cutter Abigail Cutter was the 2021-2023 Institute for Discipleship Visiting Scholar. Her Ph.D. in Christian Ethics is from Southern Methodist University, and her current research interests include political theology, Judaism and Christianity, and the Sabbath. She is now serving as the Assistant Professor of Theology at King University in Bristol, Tennessee.
	Wendy Mohler-Seib Wendy Mohler-Seib was the 2019-2021. Mohler-Seib is now the Assistant Professor of Theology at Friends University in Wichita Kansas. Her doctoral work is in practical theology through Nazarene Theological College at the University of Manchester in Manchester, England. Her dissertation, titled “Hearing and Obeying God: Mentoring Teenagers in Practicing the Presence of God,” explores spiritual disciplines and the faith formation of adolescents.​
	Michael Beardslee Michael Beardslee was the 2017-2019 Institute for Discipleship visiting scholar. He completed his Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Seminary. He is currently working as the Director of Advanced Studies and Learning Management for the Institute for Discipleship at SC.
	Kirsten Guidero Kirsten Guidero was the 2015-2017 visiting scholar. She is now serving as an Associate Professor in the theology department of Marian University-Indianapolis and heading up their new learning community dedicated to human flourishing. Her research in theological anthropology, ecumenism, and Christology informs contemporary debates with historical resources from across the Christian traditions.
	Matthew Sigler Matthew Sigler served as the 2013-2015 Institute for Discipleship visiting scholar. He completed his Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies from Boston University in December of 2014. Matthew is now teaching at Seattle Pacific University and Seminary as Associate Professor of Worship and Historical Theology.
	Kevin Minister For the 2012-2013 school year, Kevin Minister was our visiting scholar. He has a PhD in religion from SMU. Kevin is an Associate Professor of Religion at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA where he teaches courses in World Religions, Religion and Ecology, and Theology. In 2014, he published 6 entries in the Abingdon Theological Companion to the Lectionary: Preaching Year B. Kevin also serves on the steering committee of the Theology and Religious Reflection Section of the American Academy of Religion.
	Meredith Minister For the 2011-2012 school year, our visiting scholar was Meredith Minister from SMU. Meredith is an Associate Professor of Religion at Shenandoah University, USA where she teaches courses intersecting religion and culture. Her first book, Trinitarian Theology and Power Relations: God Embodied, was released in 2014. Her other publications include articles in The Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion and Disability Studies Quarterly.
	Stephen and Sarah Sours For the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, Stephen and Sarah Sours from Duke shared the position. Stephen serves as Chair, Department of Religion and History; Professor of Religion and Sarah serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dean of Faculty; Professor of Theological Ethics at Huntingdon College in Montgomery Alabama.
	We did not have a visiting scholar for the 2008-2009 school year.
	Matt Thompson Matt Thompson was our visiting scholar for the 2007-2008 school year.  He is now the Operations Coordinator of production Resources at WestEd in the greater Minneapolis area.
	Kevin Carnahan The first visiting scholar was Kevin Carnahan who was with us for the 2006-2007 school year. He is now a Professor of Religion at Central Methodist University.