Announcement: Introducing our 2017-2018 Grant Recipients

We are pleased to announce the grant recipients for our upcoming 2017-2018 research theme, “Suffering & the Good Life,” made possible by a generous grant from the Templeton Religion Trust. We are excited to welcome each of these scholars and pastors into our community of Christian scholarship at Biola.

The nature of this upcoming research theme is fraught with the real stories of human pain and suffering that is common to all, but weighs heavily on some. It’s our hope and prayer that this entire year and the work that emerges from it will give honor to individual sufferers—real people whose lives have been and will be shaped for better or worse by their encounters with illness, loss, death, unjust oppression, sin and moral failing—and that fresh and life-giving insights will offer helpful perspective, for the sake of finding shalom in our communities.

Congratulations to the following grant recipients!

Fall 2017

Visiting Fellows

Lynn Underwood (Epidemiology/Research Methodology, Case Western Reserve University)
Jessica Hooten Wilson (Literature, John Brown University)
David Downs (Biblical Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary)
Gregory Peterson (Philosophy, South Dakota State University)

Biola Fellows

Tania Abouezzeddine (Psychology, Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University)
Jason McMartin (Theology, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University)
Brad Christerson (Sociology, Biola University)
Amy Obrist (Literature, Biola University)

Pastor-in-Residence

Mark Whitlock (Christ Our Redeemer African Methodist Episcopal Church, Irvine, CA / University of Southern California Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement)

Spring 2018

Visiting Fellows

Helen Rhee (Theology, Westmont College)
Erin Dufault-Hunter (Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary)
Matthew Smith (Literature, Asuza Pacific University)
Christopher Kaczor (Philosophy, Loyola Marymount University)

Biola Fellows

Haein Park (Literature, Biola University)
Elizabeth Hall (Psychology, Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University)
Marc Malandra (Literature, Biola University)
Tonya Dantuma (Communication Disorders, Biola University)

Pastor-in-Residence

Fr. Blake Schwendiman (St. Matthews Anglican Church, Newport Beach, CA)

Course Development Grant Winners

Mark J. Baird (Clinical Psychologist / Assistant Professor of Psychology, Whitworth University)

Elizabeth O’Donnell Gandolfo (Earley Assistant Professor of Catholic and Latin American Studies, Wake Forest University School of Divinity)