Author Bios

Baab, Lynne M. (www.lynnebaab.com) is a Presbyterian minister and writer who lives in Seattle, Washington. She has written six books, including two books on midlife. Her most recent books are Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest and Beating Burnout in Congregations.

Barkley, Barbara is pastor of music and family ministries at Bethel Community Presbyterian Church in San Leandro, California.

Barnes-Davies, Rebecca is a consultant for Environmental and Social Justice Ministries. She also serves as the coordinator of Presbyterians for Restoring Creation.

Bass, Dorothy C. is director of the Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People in Faith (www.practicingourfaith.org). She is the author of Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time and the editor of Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People and several other books.

Battin, Barbara has served the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in pastoral ministry in six congregations and is currently Protestant campus minister at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio.

Bell, Dan is an ordained Elder in The United Methodist Church and Associate Professor of Theological Ethics at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina. He is the author of Liberation Theology After the End of History: The Refusal to Cease Suffering (Routledge) and Just War as Christian Discipleship: Recentering the Tradition in the Church rather than the State (Brazos, fall 2009).

Berlinerblau, Jacques is associate professor of Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University. He has written for many publications, including The Chronicle of Higher Education, and is a featured columnist on the Washington Post Web site.

Berquist, Jon L. is a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and executive editor for biblical studies at Westminster John Knox Press.

Bettis-Gee, Martha is Associate for Child Advocacy in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Bostrom, Kathleen serves as copastor of Wildwood Presbyterian Church near Chicago, Illinois. She is the author of two dozen books, mostly for children (kathleenlongbostrom.com).

Brewer, H. Michael is a full-time pastor in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a part-time writer, and an adjunct professor of religious studies at Northern Kentucky University. He enjoys gardening, hiking, and kayaking.

Broyles, Vernon S., III is the associate for corporate witness in the national ministry offices of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He is author of the column “The Church in Society” in the denominational magazine Presbyterians Today.

Brueggemann, Walter, one of the world’s leading interpreters of the Old Testament, is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary.

Buechner, Frederick is a respected and beloved writer who is the author of more than thirty books. His nonfiction and fiction writing has led to his being honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book awards. Buechner is an ordained Presbyterian minister and lives in Vermont.

Burdick, Ellie H. is a freelance writer who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is a stay-at-home mother to her three children and has volunteered as a youth leader, Director of Education, and vacation church school creator and coordinator at First Congregational Church, UCC.

Burrow Jr., Rufus is Indiana Professor of Christian Thought and Professor of Theological Social Ethics at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis. Among his many books is God and Human Dignity: The Personalism, Theology, and Ethics of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Byassee, Jason is assistant editor at Christian Century. He has a PhD in theology from Duke University and has taught adjunct at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, North Park Theological Seminary, and Wheaton College. He is a probationary elder in the United Methodist Church.

Cairns, John A. recently retired as the Dean of the Academy for Faith & Life at the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, spent most of his forty-plus-year ministry in adult Christian education in the local church.

Caldwell, Elizabeth is the Harold Blake Walker Professor of Pastoral Theology at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, where she teachers courses in religious education. She is the author of Making a Home for Faith: Nurturing the Spiritual Life of Children and Leaving Home with Faith: Nurturing the Faith of Youth.

Capps, Donald is the William Harte Felmeth Professor of Pastoral Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey. He is the author of more than two dozen books on pastoral theology, including Jesus the Village Psychiatrist, The Poet’s Gift, The Child’s Song, and Losers, Loners, and Rebels: The Spiritual Struggles of Boys (coauthored with Robert C. Dykstra and Allan Hugh Cole Jr.).

Carter, Kenneth H., Jr. is senior pastor of Providence United Methodist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina. He is author of A Way of Life in The World: Spiritual Practices for United Methodists.

Carvalhaes, ClÁudio is Assistant Professor of Worship and Preaching at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and a minister of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil.

Chatham, Jim is a Presbyterian minister who has taught Bible to adults for over forty years and teaches a lay Bible course at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Cheifetz, Laura Mariko is a hapa (mixed-race Asian American) yonsei (fourth generation) Presbyterian minister from the Pacific Northwest of white and Japanese descent. She serves on staff at McCormick Theological Seminary, directing a Lilly-funded project.

Cheney, Emily is a Presbyterian minister in Georgia, a contributor to the forthcoming New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, and the author of She Can Read: Feminist Reading Strategies for Biblical Narrative.

Clapp, Rodney is the author of a number of books, including Border Crossings: Christian Trespasses on Popular Culture and Public Affairs; Tortured Wonders: Christian Spirituality for People, Not Angels; and A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society. He is the editorial director of Brazos Press.

Cobb, John B., Jr. is Ingraham Professor of Theology Emeritus at the Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California.

Coffin, William Sloane stood for a half century as a force for progressive religion in America and in the world. Becoming famous in the 1960s while leading a very public opposition to the Vietnam War as chaplain at Yale University, he was indicted by the government in the Benjamin Spock conspiracy trial. He marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr., was jailed as a Freedom Rider, and became one of the most forceful Christian voices in the civil rights movement. Later, he served as senior minister of the prestigious Riverside Church in New York City, where he inspired thousands and continued to be a powerful voice for conscience and change.

Cole, Allan Hugh, Jr. is Associate Professor of Pastoral Care at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Good Mourning: Getting through Your Grief, and coauthor of Losers, Loners, and Rebels: The Spiritual Struggles of Boys, both published by Westminster John Knox Press.

Coons, Jim is associate pastor for youth ministries at Bidwell Presbyterian Church in Chico, California.

Cootsona, Greg is associate pastor for adult discipleship at Bidwell Presbyterian Church in Chico, California, and he also teaches philosophy at nearby Butte College. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a PhD from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. His second book, Creation and Last Things: At the Intersection of Theology and Science, is published by Geneva Press, and he blogs on topics of faith and culture at cootsona.blogspot.com.

Copeland, Adam J. is a member of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song and a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary.

Cosby,Michael is Professor of New Testament at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania.

Thomas W. Currie is dean of Union-PSCE at Charlotte. He is the author of Searching for Truth: Confessing Christ in an Uncertain World and Prayers for the Road: Psalm Meditations for College Students, both published by Westminster John Knox Press.

Curtiss, Victoria serves as interim copastor of First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis, Oregon, and also as a spiritual director, retreat leader, and facilitator of communal discernment for church bodies.

Dart, John, news editor for the Christian Century, covered religion news for thirty years at the Los Angeles Times. He has written or coauthored a half-dozen books, mostly on biblical research findings.

Davis, Ellen F. is professor of Bible and practical theology at Duke Divinity School.

Davis, Megan Pillow is a journalist and freelance writer who lives in China Grove, North Carolina.

Demarest, Gary and Marily Demarest are now enjoying retirement in Pasadena, California. His active ministry included service in pastorates, on the General Assembly staff, and as comoderator of the General Assembly Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church.

Douglass, Katherine M. is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA and a doctoral candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary studying the educational ministry of the church. She recently served as the Associate Pastor for Youth with her husband, John, at The American Protestant Church: An International Congregation in Bonn, Germany.

Duff, Nancy J. is the Stephen Colwell Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she has taught since 1990. She is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She is author of Humanization and the Politics of God: The Koinonia Ethics of Paul Lehmann. She is married to a United Methodist minister and is mother to two teenagers.

Duffy, Michael F. is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and Professor of Theological Studies at Hanover College in Indiana.

Dykstra, Robert C. is professor of pastoral theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. His several books include Counseling Troubled Youth.

Edelman, Marian Wright is founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Ekblad, Bob is executive director of Tierra Nueva and the People’s Seminary in Burlington, Washington. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and is the author of Reading the Bible with the Damned.

Elcott, Dr. David is the Taub Professor in Practice of Public Service and Leadership at the Wagner School of New York Uuniversity and the former national director of Interreligious Affairs at the American Jewish Committee.

Elkins, Heather Murray is professor of worship, preaching, and the arts at Drew Theological School and the Graduate Division of Religion of Drew University.

Esterline, David is dean of the faculty and director of the Institute for Cross-Cultural Theological Education at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

Faller, Stephen is a chaplain serving in Trenton, New Jersey. He also facilitates adult education at Pennington United Methodist Church. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School and a Master of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. His first book, Beyond the Matrix: Revolutions and Revelations, is published by Chalice Press.

Farley, Wendy is professor of theology and ethics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ferguson, Nancy is a certified educator and former day camp director at Camp Hanover in Richmond, Virginia. She lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia where she concentrates on writing resources for camps and retreats. She is the author of eight books, including The Retreat Leader's Manual with Kevin Witt and Retreats for Renewal: Five Designs for Intergenerational Retreats.

Fischer, Adam is a consultant for The Thoughtful Christian and a recent graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Foote, Ted V., Jr. is a minister of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and pastors a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Garrett, Greg is professor of English at Baylor University and is the author of Stories from the Edge: A Narrative Theology of Grief and many other books, including The Gospel according to Hollywood. Greg serves as writer in residence at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest and as a lay preacher at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas.

Garrett, Susan R. is Professor of New Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary; previously she has taught at Emory and Yale Universities.

Gooch, John is a retired United Methodist clergy, having served churches in both rural and urban areas. He has taught and written about the Bible for forty years and confesses to a “lifelong love affair with the Word.”

Gordon, Jacob is a church musician and freelance writer living in the Pittsburgh, PA, area.

Griggs, Donald L. is a retired Presbyterian pastor-educator specializing in Christian education as a pastor, professor, writer, editor, and consultant. He has authored numerous books including The Bible from Scratch: The Old Testament for Beginners; The Bible from Scratch: The New Testament for Beginners; Teaching Today’s Teachers to Teach: Basic Skills for Church Teachers; and Christian Education in the Small Church, coauthored with Judy McKay Walther. Don lives in Livermore, California.

Gushee, David P., PhD, teaches Christian ethics at Union University (www.davidgushee.com).

Halverson, Delia is a Christian education consultant and author of over twenty books and numerous curriculum and articles in Christian education and Christian spirituality. She is also a workshop leader, retreat leader, and keynote speaker. Her Web site is www.deliahalverson.com.

Halverson, Sam is a twenty-five year veteran in youth ministry and an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. He is the author of various books on youth ministry, including Destination Unknown and Destination Unknown 2. Sam enjoys the outdoors, genealogy, music, playing guitar, and being a husband and a father.

Hauerwas, Stanley is professor of theological ethics at Duke Divinity School. As a theological ethicist, his primary work is to show in what way theological convictions make no sense unless they are actually embodied in our lives. Hauerwas has been the author or editor of more than thirty books.

Hazelrigg, Marti Reed has served churches in Mississippi and New Jersey and has worked in youth ministry for the past fifteen years.

Hewlett, Martinez is an emeritus professor in the departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He has published thirty scientific papers and a novel, Divine Blood (1994). He is a founding member and coordinator of the St. Albert the Great Forum on Theology and the Sciences at the University of Arizona.

Hickman, Lisa Nichols is a Presbyterian pastor and writer. Her book The Worshiping Life was published by Westminster John Knox Press. She is married to Jason, a poet and pastor. They have two daughters, Leah and Caitlyn May.

Higginbotham, Elice is a UCC clergywoman currently serving as interim minister for pastoral care at The Riverside Church in the City of New York. She has also served on congregational or denominational staff in New York, New Mexico, Arizona, and Ohio.

Hill, Johnny B. is Assistant Professor of Theology at Louisville Seminary in Kentucky.

Hoop, Cathy Caldwell, the mother of three Internet-using sons, has served as director of children’s ministries at Second Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee, for the past eleven years. She is a curriculum writer for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s We Believe Workshop, Cokesbury’s Power Xpress, and Cokesbury’s Live BIG curriculum.

Horsley, Richard A. is distinguished professor of liberal arts and the study of religion at the University of Massachusetts–Boston. He is the author of numerous books, including Scribes, Visionaries, and Politics in Second Temple Judea and Hearing the Whole Story: The Politics of Plot in Mark’s Gospel.

Howard, Anna Aven is a youth minister and freelance writer who lives in Nashville with her husband, two dogs, and two cats. She is the author of Creative Bible Lessons in Ezekiel (Zondervan), and has a passion for helping equip youth ministers and churches to disciple youth.

Howell, James is senior pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He holds a PhD in biblical theology from Duke and is the author of a dozen books, including The Life We Claim: The Apostles’ Creed and The Beatitudes for Today.

Hughes, Susan Lyons is Education and Interpretation Manager at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. She holds a BA in history from Western Kentucky University, and did graduate work at WKU and the University of Kentucky, focusing on nineteenth-century social and intellectual history.

Hwang, Michelle is the Director of Christian Education at Second Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, MD.

Iosso, Christian currently serves as coordinator of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy of the General Assembly Council. Previously he served as pastor of the Scarborough (New York) Presbyterian Church, taught college and seminary part time, and worked in the area of corporate social responsibility. His PhD is from Union Seminary, with prior work at Princeton Seminary and Johns Hopkins University.

Ireton, Kimberlee Conway is a writer, teacher, and avid cook. She lives in Seattle with her husband and young son. Kimberlee has studied theology and the history of Christian spiritual practice at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota; Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia; and Fuller Theological Seminary in Seattle, Washington.

Jensen, David is associate professor of constructive theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. His most recent book is Responsive Labor: A Theology of Work.

Johnson, Louise Lawson is a Presbyterian minister on staff at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville in New Jersey. Her passion is Bible study and adult education/formation.

Jones, Verity A. is publisher and editor of DisciplesWorld, a journal of news, opinion, and mission for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is ordained in both the Disciples and the United Church of Christ. Prior to joining DisciplesWorld, she pastored Disciples and UCC congregations in Indiana and Connecticut.

Joyner, F. Belton Jr. is a United Methodist pastor who teaches courses in Methodist history and Wesleyan theology at Duke University Divinity School. He is the author of United Methodist Questions, United Methodist Answers, published by Westminster John Knox Press.

Kalas, J. Ellsworth is interim president and faculty member of Asbury Theological Seminary. He’s served as a United Methodist pastor for thirty-eight years in churches in Wisconsin and Ohio and on staff of the World Methodist Council. He’s authored more than thirty books, including Grace in a Tree Stump and Men Worth Knowing, published by Westminster John Knox Press.

Kauffman, Richard A. is a senior editor and book review editor for Christian Century magazine. While most of his adult life he has been an editor, he also has served as a pastor, a seminary administrator, and a theology instructor.

Keller, Jack A., Jr. is a freelance writer in Louisville, Kentucky. He holds a PhD in religious ethics from Vanderbilt University.

Koester, Craig is professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary. He is the author of several books on the New Testament and is currently working on a commentary on Revelation. Craig is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Koester, Nancy is affiliated faculty at Luther Seminary, where she teaches church history. Nancy is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Kolbell, Erik is a writer, psychotherapist, and ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. He was the first minister of social justice at Riverside Church in New York City and is the author of many articles and books, including The God of Second Chances.

Lang, Christy is the associate pastor for Christian education and discipleship at The Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City. She is originally from Washington State.

LeBron Powell, Camille is Associate Pastor for Young Adult Ministry at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Lee, Lonna Chang-Ren is a youth director, writer, editor, speaker, and minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She lives with her husband, the Rev. Chuck Goodman, and daughter Ruby and Westie puppy Gilead in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Lester, Andrew D. is professor of pastoral theology and pastoral counseling at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University. He is the author of several books, including The Angry Christian: A Theology for Care and Counseling and Hope in Pastoral Care and Counseling and coauthor of It Takes Two: The Joy of Intimate Marriage.

Liebert, Elizabeth is professor of Spiritual Life at San Francisco Theological Seminary and the author of many books on spirituality.

Light, Gary W. has served as professor of biblical studies and as a pastor in Peru and the United States. He is currently a freelance writer living in South Carolina.

Lindner, Eileen W. is the deputy general secretary of research and planning at the National Council of Churches U.S.A. She is also a Presbyterian minister.

Lindvall, Michael L. is senior pastor of Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City and the author of A Geography of God: Exploring the Christian Journey and What Did Jesus Do? A Crash Course in His Life and Times. He has also authored two novels, The Good News from North Haven and Leaving North Haven.

Lloyd-Sidle, Tricia is a pastor and mission coworker, serving as a liaison between the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba.

Long, Edward LeRoy, Jr. is Pearsall Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics and Theology of Culture, Drew University. He is the author of several books, including Facing Terrorism: Responding as Christians.

Long, Michael G. is associate professor of Religious Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies at Elizabethtown College.

Lytch, Steve is a Presbyterian pastor who has served in Virginia, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Kentucky. Currently he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

MacKichan Walker, Joyce is a Presbyterian minister and director of Christian education at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. She has written numerous Christian education materials and trains Christian educators.

Main, Bruce has been president of UrbanPromise Ministries, an inner-city ministry to youth in Camden, New Jersey, since 1988. Bruce’s published books include If Jesus Were a Sophomore: Discipleship for College Students and If Jesus Were a Senior: Last-Minute Preparations for Postcollege Life (Westminster John Knox), Spotting the Sacred: Noticing God in the Most Unlikely Places and Holy Hunches: Responding to the Promptings of God (Baker Books). He is married with three children.

Mallon, Elias D., PhD, a native of New York City, was educated at the Catholic University in Washington, DC, and Eberhard-Karls Universitaet in Tuebingen, Germany. Dr. Mallon hold graduate degrees in Hebrew Bible studies and a doctorate in near Eastern languages. He has taught at the American University in Washington, DC, and the University of Washington in Seattle. He was also on the faculty at the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches in Bossey, Switzerland.

Dr. Mallon has been involved in interreligious dialogue since 1985. He has been engaged in the Christian-Muslim dialogue of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, with the National and World Council of Churches.

He has published several articles on Christian-Muslim relations and is the author of Neighbors: Muslims in North America and most recently Islam: What Catholics Need to Know.

Malone, Tom has been a pastor/Christian educator in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for over thirty years. He currently serves as the pastor/educator of the Belton Presbyterian Church in South Carolina.

March, W. Eugene is A. B. Rhodes Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the author of Israel and the Politics of Land and The Mighty Acts of God, rev. ed.

Marty, Martin E. is a Lutheran pastor and professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, where he taught for thirty-five years. He has written more than fifty books. See http://www.illuminos.com/mem/memMain.html.

McKim, Donald K. is academic and reference editor for Westminster John Knox Press. He is the author and editor of a number of books about Reformed theology and beliefs.

McMullen, Adrian is an associate in the Office of Ministries with Youth of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). With more than fifteen years of youth ministry experience, Adrian has worked with camp and local ministries as well as regional and national youth events. He served as a youth director for churches in Minnesota and Iowa before moving to Louisville, Kentucky.

McNulty, Edward is a Presbyterian minister with a doctor of ministry degree in art, film, and theology. The author of the two Praying the Movies books (Westminster John Knox Press), he writes the film reviews for Presbyterians Today and edits the quarterly film journal Visual Parables.

Meckley, Philip is associate professor of religion and philosophy at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas.

Migliore, Daniel L. is Charles Hodge Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of the best-selling textbook Faith Seeking Understanding.

Mikoski, Nancy is a minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She has served in congregations in Michigan and Georgia and now resides in Princeton, New Jersey. She serves as the consultant in Christian education at Nassau Presbyterian Church. Nancy, a graduate of Westmont College and Princeton Theological Seminary, is married and the mother of three children. She has written a number of the Leader's Guides for The Thoughtful Christian.

Miller, Martha is a certified Christian educator and elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and currently serves as the Associate for Certification and Christian Vocation for the denomination.

Monsma, Gail has over 15 years experience as a minister to youth and young adults at various churches. She lives in Louisville, KY, with her Chocolate Labrador, Jonah.

Morgan, Dale Lindsay is a Presbyterian pastor and Christian educator. For over twenty-five years she has written curriculum for youth and adults, including two Horizons Bible studies for Presbyterian Women: What She Said—Quotable Women in Scripture and Jubilee! Luke’s Gospel for the Poor.

Mumford, Debra J., is Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Connie Neal is a popular Christian author of such books as Wizards, Wardrobes, and Wookiees: Navigating Good and Evil in Harry Potter, Narnia and Star Wars: What’s a Christian to Do with Harry Potter?and MySpace for Moms and Dads: A Guide to Understanding the Risks and the Rewards. Formerly a youth pastor and popular speaker with the Women of Faith, Connie lives in California.

Nunley, Jan is an Episcopal priest, journalist, and author based in New York's lower Hudson Valley. She served as media liaison to the women bishops of the Anglican Communion during the 1998 Lambeth Conference.

O’Brien, Julia M. is Paul H. and Grace L. Stern Professor of Old Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary.

Oliver, Kara Lassen graduated with her master of divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School and served youth through the United Methodist denomination and her local church for ten years before becoming a freelance writer in Nashville, Tennessee.

Olson, Christy is pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She is an associate in ministry for an ELCA Church and an adjunct professor at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. After thirty years in congregations, she now teaches and writes full time in the areas of children and family.

Ott, Kate is the associate director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing. As a Christain ethicist, she trains and educates faith communities on issues of adolescent sexuality and moral decision making.

Otto, David is a professor of religious studies at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Owens, Virginia Stem has written sixteen books, including Caring for Mother, Looking for Jesus, and Daughters of Eve. She is a popular speaker and a member of the editorial board of Books & Culture. Her blog is found at virginiastemowens.blogspot.com.

Owensby, Walter has served the Presbyterian Church as parish clergy, international mission worker, and policy advocate in the denomination’s Washington office. He holds an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin with studies in international development.

Pace, Gordon is a second-year seminary student at McCormick Theological Seminary. He is originally from Tupelo, Mississippi.

Parker, Brent is director of student ministries at Trinity United Methodist Church in Arlington, Texas, working with junior and senior high students and their families. He also serves as a retreat leader, spiritual director, and youth ministry consultant through This Way Ministries, http://www.thiswayministries.org.

Parvin, Skip is the pastor of Isle of Faith UMC, which serves the beautiful beaches of Jacksonville, Florida. He writes on the relationship between theology and popular culture and has authored the study guides to The Gospel according to The Simpsons and The Gospel according to Harry Potter. He also spent six years editing and writing for Reel to Real and Reel Faith, undated quarterlies that use the movies to teach Christian faith, theology, ethics, and values.

Patton, Vince is the manager for church relations and marketing and editor of These Days devotional magazine for the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. He is the former editor of Let’s Go to the Movies with Youth, Let’s Go to the Movies with Young Adults, and youth and young adult curriculum for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). In addition, he is a movie-screening representative and a freelance writer and editor. He maintains a blog at http://www.moviereviewsandnews.blogspot.com.

Paulson, Steven D. is an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is professor of systematic theology at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Peacock, Jean Marie serves as the associate presbyter (pro tem) for congregational development and disaster recovery for the Presbytery of South Louisiana, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Peters, Ted is professor of systematic theology at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He is editor of Dialog: A Journal of Theology and co-editor of Theology and Science. He is author of God as Trinity (Westminster John Knox Press, 1993), For the Love of Children (Westminster John Knox Press, 1996), and GOD—The World’s Future (Fortress, 2000).

Phelps, Bob is pastor of Providence Presbyterian Church, a Presbyterian Congregation in Fernandina Beach, Florida. He and his wife, Deanna, are parents of two young adult sons.

Phillips, Buran F. is Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Pinsky, Mark I., religion writer for the Orlando Sentinal, considers himself a thoughtful Jew. Pinsky specializes in the intersection of religion and popular culture and is the author of The Gospel according to The Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World’s Most Animated Family; The Gospel according to Disney: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust; and A Jew among the Evangelicals: A Guide for the Perplexed.

Polaski, Sandra Hack lives and writes in Richmond, Virginia. She is adjunct professor of New Testament at Union-PSCE in Charlotte, North Carolina, where her specialty is Pauline studies. She is an ordained Baptist minister and enjoys preaching and leading Bible studies in area churches.

Quigley, Bill is a human rights lawyer and law professor at Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ramsay, Nancy J. is Executive Vice President, Dean, and Professor of Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Care at Brite Divinity School.

Ramsay, William M. taught Bible at Bethel College in McKenzie, Tennessee. He was a frequent writer of the lesson series The Present Word and wrote a few books, including The Westminster Guide to the Books of the Bible and Church History 101.

Ramsey, Janet is associate professor of congregational care leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. A former parish pastor, she is also a licensed marriage and family therapist and a qualitative researcher. Dr. Ramsey is first author of Spiritual Resiliency in Older Women: Models of Strength for Challenges through the Life Span and is currently writing a book that will include a focus on the faith of older men.

Rensberger, David lives in Georgia, where he and his wife belong to both Baptist and Mennonite congregations. He is the author of books on the Gospel and Letters of John, and of numerous articles on Christian spirituality.

Rickel, Greg is rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas. He is also a national stewardship consultant for the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Network for Stewardship.

Riess, Jana is an acquisitions editor at Westminster John Knox Press and worked for nine years as the religion book review editor for Publishers Weekly. The author of six books, she has a PhD in American religious history from Columbia University.

Ritchie, James H., Jr. is under an extension ministry appointment in the United Methodist Church as a writer, teacher, consultant, and composer. The author of Always in Rehearsal: The Practice of Worship and the Presence of Children, he also writes and edits preteen Sunday school curriculum. The developer of Abingdon’s Created by God human sexuality resources for preteens and parents lives in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, but travels across the country leading these events and training leaders. Check out his Web site at www.RFSMinistries.com.

Roan, Cathy is associate professor of communications/journalism at West Liberty State College in West Virginia.

Robins, Kikanza Nuri is a writer and organizational development consultant. For twenty-five years she has worked with individuals and public-sector organizations helping them to close the gap between who they say they are and how the world experiences them. With her colleagues she has written several books on cultural proficiency. Kikanza is the author of the 2007–2008 Horizons Bible Study, “Insiders Outsiders.” She resides in Los Angeles with two Chartreux cats—Manifest Justice and Munificent Concordance.

Rock, Jay T. is a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and serves as interfaith relations coordinator in the national church offices. His PhD is in the History of Religions, with a focus on Jewish religious history.

Root, Andrew is assistant professor of youth and family ministry at Luther Seminary. He is the author of Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry: From a Strategy of Influence to a Theology of Incarnation.

Sanders, Cheryl J. is senior pastor of Third Street Church of God in Washington, D.C., and professor of Christian ethics at Howard University School of Divinity.

Sauceda, Teresa ChÁvez is the Former Associate for Racial Justice & Advocacy for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and has worked in Affirmative Action. She writes and teaches on issues in U.S. Latina/o theology, racial justice and cultural proficiency.

Scanlon, Leslie is national correspondent for Presbyterian Outlook magazine. A journalist and writer, she lives in Kentucky.

Schleicher, Andrew is a United Methodist clergyman and freelance writer living in Nashville, Tennessee. He has a dual master’s degree in religious journalism from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Northwestern University, and he is the former editor of FaithLink and The United Methodist Newscope. During his undergraduate studies at Kalamazoo College, Schleicher lived for six months in East Africa and later began his research on Sudan while interning with the Africa Policy Information Center (now Africa Action).

Sheeley, Steven M. is assistant vice president for academic affairs and professor of religion at Shorter College in Rome, Georgia. He is the author or coauthor of three books, including The Bible in English Translation: An Essential Guide (with Robert N. Nash Jr.).

Shussett, Steve is the teaching presbyter of Lehigh Presbytery. He formerly served as associate for spiritual formation for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), where he edited Hungryhearts and “Lord, Teach Us to Pray” and wrote for publications such as Horizons, Call to Worship, and Church and Society.

Sider, Ronald J. is professor of Theology, Holistic Ministry and Public Policy at Palmer Theological Seminary and president of Evangelicals for Social Action. He is the author of twenty-nine books, including Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger.

Sinclair, Donna is contributing editor at The United Church Observer and the author or co-author of numerous books, including Christian Parenting and Jacob's Blessing: Dreams Hopes and Vision for the Church. Her most recent releases are The Spirituality of Gardening and The Spirituality of Bread.

Skinner, Matthew L. is assistant professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Smith, Alexa is a reporter for the Presbyterian News Service. She is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Smith, osb, Lynne is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is a member of the first ecumenical monastic women’s community in the U.S., Benedictine Women of Madison in Wisconsin. The community weaves prayer, hospitality, justice and care for the earth into a shared way of life (www.benedictinewomen.org)

Smylie, Robert F. was the representative of the Presbyterian Church at the United Nations for twenty-seven years. Following his retirement he worked part-time as Director of the Disarmament Program of the World Conference of Religions for Peace.

Speight, R. Marston is a retired missionary-minister of the United Methodist Church and former director of the Office for Christian-Muslim Relations of the National Council of Churches.

Stephens, Diane is a retreat leader, spiritual director, congregational consultant, and affiliate faculty in spiritual formation at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois. She is coauthor of The Mothers of Many Styles Handbook: Understanding Your Personality Type in Mothering and author of Marketing Matters: A Practical Guide to Effective Communication.

Stillman, William lives in Pennsylvania and is the author of several autism and related parenting books, including Autism and the God Connection. His Web site is www.williamstillman.com.

Stone, Bryan is professor of evangelism at Boston University and cofounder and director of the Center for Practical Theology. He is the author of several books, including Evangelism after Christendom: The Theology and Practice of Christian Witness.

Stoner, Martha is the editor for tween curriculum at the United Methodist Publishing House and has taught tweens in a variety of settings. She has written Tween Spirituality, Symbols of Faith, and Seasons of Faith. Marcia is currently writing Bible People of Faith.

Sugg, Laura S. is a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and adjunct faculty at Columbia Theological Seminary. Her PhD is in systematic theology from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. She has served as chaplain at three colleges and is currently a pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Symynkywicz,. Jeffrey B. is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and a Unitarian Universalist minister in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

Tanner, Beth LaNeel is associate professor of Old Testament at New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey. She is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and has published a study of the psalms for laypersons, The Psalms for Today.

Thomas-Bush, Michele is the minister of youth and young adults at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, Florida. She is passionate about her faith and loves to challenge others to see God’s movement in all of life.

Thompson, Marjorie J. is a writer, teacher, retreat leader, and consultant in Christian spiritual formation. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she has worked with a broad range of churches ecumenically. Among her several books are Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life (Westminster/John Knox Press) and several titles for Companions in Christ (Upper Room Books), the acclaimed small-group resource for which she served as chief architect.

Tickle, Phyllis, for many years contributing editor in religion to Publishers Weekly, the international journal of the book industry, is frequently quoted in such sources as USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, PBS, NPR, and the Hallmark Channel. Tickle is an authority on religion in America and a much sought after lecturer on the subject.

Uriarte, Mienda is a Presbyterian minister and consults churches in a variety of areas including cross-cultural ministries and social issues.

Vazquez Torres, Jessica is a 1.5-generation Latina of Puerto Rican descent. She is an ordained minister with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and an anti-racism organizer-facilitator serving as Director of Master Level Recruitment and Admissions at McCormick Theological Seminary.

Walker, Joyce MacKichan is director of Christian education at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. She has written numerous Christian education materials and trains Christian educators.

Walker, Mary Edith is Director of Adult Education at First Presbyterian Church, Oxford, MS. She is a graduate of Eden Theological Seminary.

Walker, Thomas W. is senior pastor at Palms Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Tom has also served as associate pastor/theologian-in-residence at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Walling, Linda Hanna is the Founder and Executive Director of Faithful Reform in Health Care, a coalition of faith organizations and individuals working to elevate a faith-inspired vision for health care in the U.S. She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Washburn, Sue is a certified public school teacher, a Sunday school teacher, and a freelance parenting writer from Pennsylvania. She is the parent of a teen and pre-teen.

Waters, Brent is professor of Christian Social Ethics and director of the Jerre L. and Mary Joy Stead Center for Ethics and Values at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. He is the author of Economic Globalization and Christian Ethics (forthcoming); This Mortal Flesh: Incarnation and Bioethics (forthcoming); The Family in Christian Social and Political Thought, From Human to Posthuman: Christian Theology and Technology in a Postmodern World; Reproductive Technology: Towards a Theology of Procreative Stewardship; Dying and Death: A Resource for Christian Reflection; and Pastoral Genetics: Theology and Care at the Beginning of Life (with co-author Ronald Cole-Turner), and editor of God and the Embryo: Religious Voices on Stem Cells and Cloning (with co-editor Ronald Cole-Turner).

Webb-Mitchell, Brett is Director of the School of the Pilgrim (www.schoolofthepilgrim.com), and interim minister at 1st Presbyterian Church, Henderson, NC.

Wehrheim, Carol is a freelance educator, writer, and editor. She was the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators “Educator of the Year” in 2001. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey, where she teaches sixth grade church school and is clerk of session at Nassau Presbyterian Church.

Weston, William J. (Beau) is NEH Associate Professor of Sociology at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. He is the author of Leading from the Center: Strengthening the Pillars of the Church (Geneva Press, 2003) and is a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

White, DeBorah Gilbert is a social psychologist and serves as the associate for cultural proficiency with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Wickeri, Philip L. is professor of evangelism and mission at San Francisco Theological Seminary and holds dual standing as a minister in the Episcopal Church (U.S.A.) and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He worked for more than twenty years in Asia with the Amity Foundation (China) and the China Christian Council.

Bradley J. Wigger is professor of Christian education at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Wilbanks, Dana W. is Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics at The Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. He wrote Re-Creating America: The Ethics of U.S. Immigration and Refugee Policy in a Christian Perspective and has served as a writer for several policies on immigration issues for the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Williams, Rowan is the 104th archbishop of Canterbury—the spiritual leader of the world’s 100 million Anglicans. A renowned theologian and writer, he has served as a lecturer at Cambridge University and as the Lady Margaret Chair Professor of Divinity at Oxford University.

Wolfteich, Claire is associate professor of practical theology and spiritual formation at Boston University. She is the author of several books, including Lord, Have Mercy: Praying for Justice with Conviction and Humility.

Wood, Lawrence is senior pastor at First Congregational Church of Darien in Darien, Connecticut. Previously he served for several years as a pastor in Michigan. He is the author of One Hundred Tons of Ice and Other Gospel Stories and occasional pieces for The Christian Century.

Yamada, Frank M. is the director of the Center of Asian American Ministries and associate professor of Hebrew Bible at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. He is author of Configurations of Rape in the Hebrew Bible: A Literary Analysis of Three Rape Narratives and an editor for The Peoples' Bible, a cross-cultural study bible from Fortress Press.

Yarden, Ophir teaches Jewish and Israeli Studies in Jerusalem, often to Christian students. He also directs the Center for Interreligious Encounter with Israel for the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel.

Yeager-Buckley, Gina is the associate for ministries with youth for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Gina works with youth and youth leaders in a variety of settings, including national, civic, and within the congregation where she is a member.

Young, Rebecca Blair is a pastor and professor of systematic theology at Jakarta Theological Seminary in Indonesia. She also is liaison for tsunami relief with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, serving both roles as a mission co-worker for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).