A Message from Department Chair Jim Edwards

We hope you enjoy the 2007 newsletter from the theology and philosophy department of soon-to-be Whitworth University. That's right, as of July 1 we will no longer be Whitworth University. John Ciardi said that a university is what a college becomes when it no longer cares about students. We know that won't be true at Whitworth. We care for our students, and they care for us. A major part of our call as professors, as you'll see in nearly every entry below, has to do with relationships with promising and committed students who will be the next generation of leaders in the church. There are many wonderful things about Whitworth, but the quality and dedication of our students is perhaps the single greatest aspect of this institution. A change in our name will not change our focus on students.

Each professor's entry is a unique lens into the mission and work of our department. I'll allow each entry to speak for itself, although five things of general departmental interest are worth highlighting at the outset.

• First, in May 2008 our long-planned M.A. in theology will, Lord willing, begin at Whitworth University. The administration has given permission for our department plan to go full steam ahead, and pending approval by the faculty in September and the board in October, we'll enlist our first class of students in the master's in theology program just a year from now.
• Rebekah Rice's departure for a position at Seattle Pacific University is sad for Whitworth, but we hope it's good for her family. Rebekah has taught well, contributed wonderfully to our department, and managed to complete her dissertation in the midst of it all. She combines grace and talent, and her two years with us have been a blessing. May God continue the good work in her family in Seattle that he began here at Spokane!
• With gratitude for her life but sadness at her death, I want to announce that Evelyn Smith, associate professor of religion at Whitworth for 38 years, from 1944-1981, went home to the Lord on May 7. Miss Smith was one of my teachers at Whitworth, and I shall always remember her embodiment of Christian charity.
• Two members of the theology department received special honors this spring. By vote of the Class of ‘07, Karin Heller was named Most Influential Female Professor, and Adam Neder received the Junior Faculty Award at the Dean's Brunch following graduation. We are proud of them both!
• Finally, it may not be readily apparent from the following entries how much remarkable scholarship is being produced by our department. Every member is working intensively on at least one scholarly project. Here is a list of specific projects:

Forrest Baird is beginning to write a readable college textbook on philosophy of religion, a subject in which he is eminently qualified and for which there is a real need.

Roger Mohrlang is, finally, beginning to write a book on the subject to which he has dedicated his life – the meaning and message of the Apostle Paul.

Jerry Sittser has just completed a comprehensive book on the history of spirituality for Intervarsity Press. Its title is Water From a Deep Well.

Terry McGonigal is writing a book on the biblical theme of Shalom, a subject on which Terry's teaching has significantly influenced the ethos of the Whitworth community.

Jim Edwards is hoping to set the study of the synoptic Gospels on an entirely new axis in his forthcoming book on the Hebrew Gospel and the Formation of the Synoptic Tradition, to be published by Eerdmans.

Keith Wyma is co-authoring (with an attorney) a book on ethics for Wall Street, entitled Street Smart Ethics.

Keith Beebe continues to hone and publish his doctoral research on the McCulloch Manuscripts of the Cambuslang Revival in Scotland of 1742.

Andi Saccoccio is hard at work on a D.Min from Fuller Seminary.

Karin Heller is planning to write a major work on Christian
anthropology, specifically on the idea of male and female being made in the image of God.

Adam Neder's doctoral dissertation on Karl Barth has been accepted for a prestigious series to be published by Westminster/John Knox.

Let me assure you that these projects do not replace or diminish our teaching; they invigorate our teaching, make it more precise and exciting, and signal to students that life-changing ideas are worthy of the dedication of our lives! Gratia vobis et pax.