Date: May 5, 2022
This evening we look forward with joy to celebrating the work of our Masters students who have written a Thesis or Summative Capstone Project this academic year. After many months in conversation with Advisors, Readers, Librarians and Writing Coaches, the students will now have an opportunity to share their work with the VTS Community in person.
Every Thesis and Summative Capstone Project is a process of dedication, resilience, and growth. From the creation of a proposal sent for approval to the Masters Committee, to the meticulous work of research, writing and revision, these pieces represent a serious undertaking. To focus, to persevere and to imaginatively produce a Thesis or Summative Capstone Project amidst a continued global pandemic is indeed admirable. I am conscious of the determined effort made by our students and by those who have guided them across the finish line.
A range of fascinating and exciting subjects have been addressed this year. From A Formula for the Application of Trauma-Informed Care in the African American Church to an examination of The Automobile as an Antichrist: A theological exposition on the suburb informing an ethic of Christian urbanism through William Stringfellow and Jacques Ellul. From the design and development of First Things First: A Curriculum for Faith in Recovery to research on The Move from Mission to Parish Status: Realities and Consequences in Episcopal Latinx Congregations. Students bring to us The Apostle Andrew in Scripture and Tradition and reflect on how Joy Cometh in the Morning: Ritual, Art, and Crisis. Feed My Sheep: An Anglican Defense of Lay Presidency is presented and we are encouraged by Guide Us Walking: A Prayerbook for Uncomfortable Spaces. Students have determined to bring a Prolegomena to Repentance Snapshot and have shared their insight on the Paradox Unpacked: Jesus as God in the Gospel of John.
I warmly invite you to join me in recognizing their achievement. Please come and enjoy a reception of non-alcoholic summer drinks and desserts in the Addison Foyer at 7:00 p.m. with live music. Be inspired as the students present their work in Addison 101 at 7:30 p.m.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President