1) Describe your position at CST.  How long have you been here?

I have been a CST faculty member since January 2010, teaching practical theology, spiritual care, and pastoral counseling. I am also on the staff of The Clinebell Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Psychotherapy as a therapist and supervisor.

2) Share three things/facts about yourself that people don’t usually know.

Students have been surprised to find my car radio tuned to progressive rock and not NPR.  In terms of vocation, I’m a recovering journalist (my first career was news writing). And I once insulted Morgan Fairchild by asking what it was like to be perceived as an airhead by so many people when she’s clearly an engaged and intelligent person during one-on-one conversation. (I meant it as a compliment–really!–but it was clear she didn’t receive it as such. Let’s just say I wouldn’t do it again.)

3) Do you have a word of advice for CST students?

When you’re on campus, be here. Let yourself be surprised by the beauty of campus, like the sound of running water as you walk from North Housing and turn at the northeast corner of the chapel. Breathe deep. Practice attention.

4) What about for CST grads?

Read at least one serious theology text every year. (Yes, even though it’s not required.) It can help keep your preaching fresh, and it allows your mind to engage questions in a different way than it did in seminary.

5) What do you do for fun besides grade papers or work at the exhilarating CST offices?

Hiking, cycling, reading and eating–especially eating–are some of the ways I relax. They provide good contemplative space! My son and I love to play laser tag, and as a family we enjoy VERY competitive board games.

6) What’s the most creative excuse a student has given you over the years about an absence or late paper?

One woman was so traumatized by reading queer theologian Robert Goss that she had to make an emergency visit to her therapist instead of attending class. And then she told me–seriously–that she might sue me because I hadn’t put a disclaimer in the syllabus about the content of the book.

7) What’s the one thing you wish every CST student would take away from their time here?

That it takes a rich and intentional spiritual life to sustain the practice of (and advocacy for) justice. And–because I can’t limit myself to just one–remember Lyle Lovett’s wise words: “when you find the one you might become/remember part of me is you.” [Lovett, L. (1988). Simple song. Pontiac (Audio Compact Disc). Nashville: MCA.]

8 ) If you could do or be anything else in life besides being a part of academia what would it be?

Probably non-profit work related to education, spirituality, and advocacy. I imagine becoming a licensed massage therapist after retirement.

9) If there was a movie made of your life, who would play you and what would it be called?

Karee, whose husband I am, once suggested my epitaph be, “He Looked Good on Paper.” It’s not the most compelling film title, but it would work.

I asked friends who would play me most authentically, and responses ranged from Emilio Estevez, Heath Ledger, Adam Savage, William Hurt, and Brad Pitt to Matt Damon, Andy Milder, a young Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Giamatti, and “that stoner lawyer guy on Weeds.” Take your pick. (N.B.: I’ve already sent checks to the people who suggested Ledger, Damon and Pitt. You know who you are.)

10) If you could take only one item to a deserted island what would it be and why?

An icon written by my friend Eleanor. It’s a window into another world.

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