In April, MTS students got together to listen to the final research projects of four soon-to-be graduates Chulmo Kim, Sean Harris, Margaret Sherk, and Devin Hogg, The Research Seminar was followed by MTS Devotional in the Chapel organized by Kate Strathdee, Sarah Weber, and Devin Hogg.
On April 13 atConvocationceremony,we gathered to celebrate MTS students' accomplishmentsin the program. Join us in congratulating your classmates - Charles Biswas, Devin Hogg, Margaret Sherk, Peter Haresnape, and Christa van Daele on their achievements! Devin Hogg was this year's valedictorian!
On March 12, MTS students marked PIE Day early by taking in the currentexhibiton the 4thfloor gallery. Theexhibit, "Daughters, mothers, granddaughters, and other sexual outlaws", provided material for reflection and insight into the lived experience of cultural, intergenerational struggles in advancing sexual health and reproductive rights in countries such as El Salvador, Bangladesh, and the Phillipines.
Devin Hogg, the organizer and facilitator of the MTS event, shared: "We were moved by the heartrending stories of intergenerational struggles where girls were mothers at 14 and grandmothers in their early thirties. We were heartened by the work being done to resist systems of oppression in solidarity with others. We were reminded of the power of photography, and the potential of images to contribute to social change. If you have some time, we recommend checking out theexhibitthis week since it is on until Thursday, March 20."
On Friday, September 6, as part of graduate orientation week, students in Conrad Grebel University College's Master of Theological Studies (MTS) and Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) programs took a field trip to Brubacher House museum and the Office of Indigenous Relations (OIR) at the University of ݮƵ. The goal of the outingwas “for graduate students to situate themselves historically and geographically, and to reflect on how the histories of colonization have shaped our current location and studies,” explained Reina Neufeldt, Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies.
Grebel's Master of Theological Studies program is careful to include indigenous perspectives in the curriculum.This is part ofthe College’s commitment to following Call to Action #60 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that addresses theological schools and “the need to respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right.” In particular, courses like TS 732 - “Theologies of the Global South,”and TS 733 - “Indigenous Theologies and Methods” explore Indigenous theologies with attention to experience, history, the nature of the spiritual, key figures, and important themes. MTS students who have taken these courses reflected on some of their key learnings.