From the religion beat to the arts, from theology to politics, from ethics to interfaith issues, the Seminary Explores podcasts give you a mind opening glimpse of the world when and where you want it. HigherEdPods
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Poet Shaheen Dil speaks with Katy Giebenhain about what sparked the writing of her verse memoir. Dil was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She now lives in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Her poetry collections include Acts of Deference, The Boat-Maker’s Art, and, most recently, Letters to My Younger Self. Her BA in English is from Vassar College. She holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in International Relations from Princeton University. Dil’s career started in academia, then shifted to banking and consulting. All along she’s been writing poetry. But for many years that was h
Writer and community advocate Will Lane joins Katy Giebenhain for a conversation about the questions we ask ourselves in complex times, especially in a place like Gettysburg. Lane is the author of 5 poetry collections: Moonlight Standing in as Cordelia, Elegy for Virginia Redding, In the Barn of God, Trust Rust, and Kin. As an undergraduate he studied Classical Greek at Gettysburg College. For over a decade he worked in the building trade before earning an MA from the Graduate Institute at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. He taught for many years in the English and Environmental Stud
Dr. Richard Perry, Prof. Emeritus of Church and Society, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Dr. James Thomas, retired Prof. of Church and Ministry, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Lenoir-Rhyne University discuss the life and ministry of Dr. William Herzfeld. Dr Herzfeld was the first African American to be presiding bishop of a Lutheran denomination in the United States. They discussed his years as parish pastor, Civil Rights leader(worked with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Southern Christian Leadership Conference), bishop of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and e
In this Episode Dr. Christopher Bellitto, Professor of History at Kean University, author of “Walking Toward Virtue: A Journey with Dante,” and a frequent interpreter of Catholic history and current affairs, recaps the election of the first American pope, Pope Leo XIV, and his recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, “The Magnificence of Humanity,” which is about the promise and peril of AI, but also about war, slavery, and the poor. A recurring theme is safeguarding humanity. Bellitto believes that Pope Leo’s papacy will emphasize human values and the condition of have-nots in society. This ep
Victoria Jesswein, Associate Archivist at United Lutheran Seminary, introduces us to the work of an archivist, explains the importance of the archives to an institution and answers the question, what is an archivist? She describes the archive collection at United Lutheran Seminary (ULS) noting the ample collection of 19th century materials as well as materials from earlier centuries. As the seminary celebrates its bicentennial in 2026 it is important to reflect on what voices have been excluded from that story and how to fill in those gaps. Jesswein also shares the professional preparation of
Dr. Maria Erling, Professor of Modern Church History and Global Mission at United Lutheran Seminary, shares her thoughts on the 200th Anniversary of ULS. She tells about the need for an educated Lutheran ministry in the United States , the English/German language issue in Church, and the confessional issues that established two Lutheran seminaries in the state of Pennsylvania. She also shares examples of personalities that held her interest. She discusses the life and Dr. Bertha Paulssen, a German refugee during WW2 , who was the first woman to be on a Lutheran seminary faculty in the United S
Dr. Jon Pahl, Professor of the History of Christianity, United Lutheran Seminary discusses his thoughts on the top stories in religion for 2025. He covers both national and international areas including interreligious peacebuilding in the global village, the changing dynamics of civil religion, the election of Pope Leo, the rise of misogyny, the GAZA protests, and the Epstein scandal. While some of the issues discussed and described are difficult and painful to hear, Dr. Pahl counters them with words of hope as we embark on 2026.
Dr. Mark Tyler, Historiographer of the AME Church, and the Inaugural Daniel A. Payne Lecturer, highlights the life and work of Daniel A. Payne and the importance of his years at Gettysburg Seminary. He emphasizes the importance of and the role that education exhibited in Payne’s life as an African American intellectual in the 19th century. Tyler also discusses Payne work as the first historiographer of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; he (Tyler) is the 15th person to hold that position. While a true intellectual, Tyler notes the fact that Payne’s life emphasized the use of Head and Hear
Tom Jolin, a folk musician, introduces this episode by sharing his love of folk music that developed in the 50s and 60s in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. Using a dulcimer, banjo or accordion, he then describes a brief history of each of the songs or melodies for the listeners. This segment includes: “Love from the Heart/Marching Through GA by Henry Clay Work whose father spend three years in jail for abolition work; “No More Auction Block for Me” by the 1st South Carolina Volunteers. This was the first authorized Black regiment with Black men coming from South Carolina and Florida; “D
Dr. Nelson Rivera, Professor of Theology and Ethics at United Lutheran Seminary, defines and describes the development of Liberation Theology. This theology places an emphasis on context of the people, especially the poor. Rivera gives an overview of the seminal work of Gustavo Gutiérrez and discusses the contributions of other Liberation Theologians. Rivera makes it quite clear that Liberation Theology is not Marxist. Dr. Rivera also shares how his interest in Liberation Theology developed and gives suggested readings for those in the listening audience who want to read more about this area o
Tom Jolin and Julie Aha share music (hymns and carols) for the Christmas season from the global village. They present songs and music that originate from Canada, Belgium, United States, Native Americans, and Germany. A brief historical introduction to each piece helps to remind us of the hope and joy of the Christmas celebration around the world. Join us for a "Small Writing Surface Concert" to ring in the holiday season.
In this episode John Hartzell (retired attorney and Coast Guard Officer) talks about hiking the Appalachian Trail. He discusses his decision to undertake this life-long desire to experience this historic path. John talked about the planning that included his hiking partner, the difficulties along the trail, along with the diverse types of people he encountered. He shares the routine that developed during the experience including shelter, eating, purchasing food, and visiting the small towns along the way. John also shares the physical changes he experienced hiking along with the opportunity to
Dr. William Buckley, Adjunct professor-instructor in the Doctor of Liberal Studies Program in the School of Continuing Studies, Georgetown University, discusses the election and work of Pope Leo XIV. Buckley affirms that Pope Leo is a leader for these times. His missionary work in Peru, his graduate theological degrees including a doctorate in Canon Law, pastoral work, and teaching make him prepared for the challenges of ecclesial leadership in the world in which we live. Throughout the interview Dr. Buckley makes us keenly aware of Pope Leo’s Augustinian roots which emphasizes mission and sen
Dr. James Thomas, retired professor of Church, Ministry and Worship at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary of Lenoir-Rhyne University, discusses various people he interviewed and researched for his book, A Rumor of Black Lutherans. He emphasizes the importance of telling and sharing their stories as members of Lutheran churches in the U.S. In addition, he notes that the lives of these Black giants in Lutheranism indicates their contribution to the life of the whole church and people do not know them. For example, he mentioned Jehu Jones, Daniel Payne, Rosa Young. He encourages future schola
The poems in Marianne Worthington’s The Girl Singer tap into music performance, audiences, family identity and cultural expectations from many directions. She joins Katy Giebenhain for a conversation about the book. Marianne’s work has appeared in Oxford American, The Louisville Review, Appalachian Review, Untelling, New Southerner, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Salvation South and elsewhere. A graduate of Carson-Newman University and Ball State University, she is co-editor, with Silas House, of Piano in a Sycamore: Writing Lessons from the Appalachian Writers’ Workshop. This is a craft antholo
Pastor William Sowers received the Lifetime in Ministry Award from United Lutheran Seminary. He talks about the process of attending seminary and what factors informed him of his final decision to attend. Much of his years in ministry focused on social issues or social ministry. Pastor Sowers shared parts of his ministerial life. He organized and developed the first CROP walk, studied Family Therapy, worked for Tressler Lutheran Services, and developed the program for families of gay children. He is thankful for the award and his years in ministry.
Dr. Warren Eshbach is the recipient of the United Lutheran Seminary, Called to Lead – Excellence in Parish Ministry Award from the Alumni/ai Association. He talks about his Lutheran educational history although he is a member of the Church of the Brethren. He recalls his theological studies on the Gettysburg campus and their importance as he continued in ministry over the years. He emphasizes the importance of theology in helping one to think critically. Eshbach life in ministry included: parish pastor, District Executive Minister, and adjunct faculty member. For anyone contemplating ministry,
Pastor Fritz Foltz, Pastor emeritus St. James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, centered the conversation on the 2024 election of Donald Trump. He discusses the 2024 presidency and the support of Trump by many conservatives from the perspective of the Manhattan Declaration. It was a joint statement among Roman Catholics, Evangelicals, and Pentecostals pledging to work together to put common religious beliefs into civil law. Foltz explored the gap between the Trump administration and the call of the gospel.
Pastor A. J. Domines from Christ Lutheran Church, Elizabethtown, PA talks about his recently completed pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James). He shares about his need to have time from the routines of ministry and become more prayerful and mindful of the presence of God in his life. He sees this pilgrimage to be helpful in reading and understanding scripture differently. He describes the history and legend of the pilgrimage along with the personal outcomes of the experience for himself. Domines also the planning and processes of undertaking this “way of St. James.” He sum
This episode focuses on the work of Dawn Stewart and Mark Staples. They are part of a group of friends and colleagues of the late Dr. Richard Stewart. Dr. Stewart concentrated his work on the history of Black Lutherans. Mark and Dawn share their two-year project of reading and identifying articles in The Lutheran, Lutheran Standard, and Partners magazines which centered on Black Lutherans. In continuing the work of Dr. Stewart, they hope to make their findings available to the public, students, and scholars. From their investigation, they were able to identify trends (Civil Rights, Housing, et
Pastor Leonard killings of Advent Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Ohio shares the story of Adent Lutheran Church having an historical marker placed on its building. While the congregation is sixty years old, he describes its uniqueness as this event contributes to the history of Black Lutheran history and American Church history. He recalls its history as a mission developed in Lee-Harvard, a middle-class Black community. The architects of the building were Black twins who were just beginning their careers and Advent was their first major project. Killings describes the criterion measures for la
Tristan Ericson and Elizabeth Mitchell shared their reflections on a recent mission trip to Tanzania. They were part of a mission team of over twenty-five people mostly from St. Paul Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania. This trip was designed to acquaint and connect the delegation with the leaders and congregants Mpuguso Church of the Konde Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Once there, they helped where needed by the church and places they visited, the Lutheran school, the hospital. Tristan and Elizabeth talked about Sunday worship that was between three and four hours
Jean Howard-Green highlights the history, development and the present-day use of the Lincoln Cemetery in Gettysburg, PA. First used in 1867, it contains the graves of several Black men of Gettysburg who fought as members of the Colored Troops during the American Civil War. As a native of Gettysburg, she shared that some members of her family are buried there as well. Serving as president of the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association, she described the responsibilities of that office as well as the on-going upkeep of the cemetery. The cemetery is private and therefore relies on contributions from
Dr. Janet Powers, Professor Emerita of Interdisciplinary and Women's Studies specializing in Indian religion and literature at Gettysburg College joins Katy Giebenhain for a conversation about her book Kites Over the Mango Tree: Restoring Harmony Between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat. Powers is a certified conflict resolution mediator and has worked with women's peace-building organizations in India, Palestine, Israel, Haiti, South Africa, and Estonia. Her PhD is from University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has received many awards including a Peacemaker of the Year Award from the Interfaith Cent
Mark Staples shares his reflections from his experiences as a photojournalist for the Lutheran Church in his newly published book, Neighbors Revisited: a church journalist’s life lessons learned from people of other cultures. He particularly focuses on his travels to several countries on the African continent and Asia in the 1980s. The catalyst for the book comes from Staples’ reading of Martin Luther’s writing on the neighbor and from Staples’ observation of the fear and hatred that is so prevalent within the United States and the world today. Staples listens attentively to the stories that p
