• Gary Adler: The Social Teaching of the Church
• Ruth Haber: Jewish Studies at the GTU and UCB
• Moses Penumaka: From Rajahmundry to Berkeley
• Annie Russell: Finding “the Best of Many Worlds”

• Jaime Lara (Ph.D. 1995): The Theological Value of Visual Art
• Victoria Rue (Ph.D. 1994): Feminism, Theater, and Theology
• Jonathan Tan (M.A. 1998): Liturgy and Malaysian Tradition
• Jenny Te Paa (Ph.D. 2001): Building Structures of Partnership in New Zealand

Gary Adler: The Social Teaching of the Church
Gary, a common M.A. student in ethics affiliated with JSTB, traces the inspiration for his graduate studies to a trip to Guatemala. While studying there, his intellectual interest—and his anger—were rekindled as he learned more about the impact that two parts of his identity, Catholicism and U.S. citizenship, have on the people of that country, especially in terms of economics and militarism. “I am fascinated by what causes us to act in the world, and which commitments might trump other ones. I firmly believe that the social teaching of the church can be made more readily available, in practical ways, to the mass of the Church and, with that, amazing change can happen.” Gary was drawn to the GTU by its intentional emphasis on ecumenism and its resources for studying ethics. He has been impressed by the honesty of the classroom interactions among faculty and students. Before coming to the GTU, he worked with homeless people through a Franciscan volunteer corps, and did public relations and fundraising for a community kitchen in Washington, D.C.

Ruth Haber: Jewish Studies at the GTU and UCB
Ruth is in the Joint Doctoral Program in Jewish Studies with UC Berkeley. She was drawn to the structure of the GTU, “the fact that so many specialized schools and seminaries are linked together to form a rich and varied environment for study. Students from different programs bring truly diverse perspectives and expertise to the discussion.” Her scholarly interest is the religious significance of menstruation, especially in religious discourse. She is looking at the way in which modern assumptions and generalizations about menstruation have determined the reading of ancient texts, and how a critique of those assumptions might offer new possibilities of understanding.

Moses Penumaka: From Rajahmundry to Berkeley
Moses came to the GTU from Rajahmundry, in the state of Anadhra Pradesh in South India, and reports that the openness and multireligious environment of Berkeley resembles that of India. Moses heard about the GTU from Dr. Philip Wickeri, through the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF). In India, Moses worked for the Student Christian Movement (an affiliate of the WCSF), and earned a Master's of Theology, for which he wrote a comparative study of liberation theologies in Asia and Latin America. His doctoral studies at the GTU focus on the meaning and significance of Christ in a postmodern context, and from Moses’ perspective as a dalit, a member of the oppressed class.

Annie Russell: Finding “the Best of Many Worlds”
The intersection of geography, culture, and academic resources drew Annie Russell to the GTU from the East Coast to pursue studies in American religious history. The consortial nature of the GTU, which draws together scholars from differing traditions, dovetails nicely with its location, and provides Annie with a superb vantage point for investigating the complex history of religion in America. “I have the best of many worlds here,” she says. This multicultural, interreligious blend enables her to pursue her interests in the women of the Social Gospel movement and the relationship between American religion and the broadcast media.

Jaime Lara (Ph.D. 1995): The Theological Value of Visual Art
As an assistant professor of Christian art and architecture at Yale University Divinity School, Jaime recommends the GTU to his students, because of the opportunity to “put together your own program in a very creative way.” The GTU is attuned to making crossovers between art and theology in a way that no other school is even close to, in Lara's estimation. “GTU has been very forward thinking in seeing the theological value of visual art, whether it's Christian, Judaic, or Buddhist, through the centuries. The GTU understands that visual art is not frills, not icing on the cake, but genuine theological data.”

Victoria Rue (Ph.D. 1994): Feminism, Theater, and Theology
Victoria writes plays and directs a theater company called Toxic Avengers, working to build bridges between the theater community and people on the margins. Toxic Avengers recently staged a bilingual play created with a group of Vietnamese in San Jose, about how Vietnamese families survive in Silicon Valley “doing the dirty work in the computer industry.” At the GTU, her dissertation was a play, “Cancer Bodies: Women Speaking the Unspeakable,” which was surrounded by chapters chronicling the relationships between feminist theatre and feminist theology. Rue appreciates the freedom GTU allowed her to create a bridge between theology and art.

Jonathan Tan (M.A. 1998): Liturgy and Malaysian Tradition
When graduating M.A. student Jonathan Tan began work on his Master's thesis, his friends issued him a challenge: write something relevant to the Catholic church in Malaysia. Tan's interest in liturgical history and theology led him to pursue the common M.A. at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and the GTU. In his thesis—passed with honors—Tan presents a eucharistic prayer to “bring people together.” Emphasizing community, Tan argues, is important for a religion which many Malaysians still identify with colonial rule.

The GTU proved an ideal location for Tan's work. "I think the GTU, being where it is and the way it is structured, gave me the freedom to do my research," he said. He views his future work as an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing dialogue between Christianity and Asian cultures on developing a uniquely Asian Christianity.

Jenny Te Paa (Ph.D. 2001): Building Structures of Partnership in New Zealand
Jenny Te Paa spent five years studying in the GTU doctoral program while simultaneously serving as dean at the College of St. John the Evangelist in Auckland, New Zealand, 6500 miles away. Her personal passion, her day-to-day efforts, and her scholarly work all focused on the same theme—bicultural theological education which honors the knowledge and cultural understandings of indigenous peoples.

As dean at the College of St. John, Te Paa’s mission is to realize a bicultural theological education model which celebrates a diverse and changing society. She finds in the Gospel a model for loving partnership which inspires her efforts at the college. Te Paa works on issues of justice and equality in other settings as well, from local city and state councils to the World Council of Churches Commission on Ecumenical Theological Education and Ministry Formation, and the International Anglican Peace and Justice Network.