Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) announces two faculty members will join the Indianapolis-based Seminary effective July 1, 2018. Rev. Dr. Kimberly D. Russaw joins the faculty as Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible; and Rev. Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen joins the CTS faculty as Assistant Professor of New Testament. As dialogue in both church and society continues to focus on advancing social justice and embracing diversity, the new faculty members’ teaching and leadership achievements add to the Seminary’s long history of advancing affirmation and inclusion.
Rev. Dr. Kimberly Russaw brings to CTS a background rich in corporate leadership, academia and community service. She earned a Ph.D. and Master of Arts in Religion from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Divinity in Biblical Studies from Interdenominational Theological Center. as well as a Master of Business Administration from Clark-Atlanta University, and a Bachelor of Arts, English from Spelman College. Prior to heeding the call to serve in the faith community, she worked in corporate America for 15 years, holding positions with some of the world’s largest consumer goods and service companies. Dr. Russaw’s research and teaching interests include the Pentateuch, feminist and biblical interpretation and Ancient Near Eastern Literature.
Russaw joins CTS from Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC, where she served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion and Biblical Studies. She has also served as an adjunct faculty member with Saint Paul School of Theology, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. Russaw’s theological leadership experience includes serving as a Doctoral Fellowship Consultant for the Forum for Theological Exploration, Director for the Center for the Black Experience, and special projects with the United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. The author of more than a dozen academic publications, Russaw is a frequent presenter at academic forums exploring womanist studies, African American Biblical Hermeneutics and the Old Testament. She has earned 10 fellowships and served as a participant at forums convened by Wabash College, Vanderbilt University, the Fund for Theological Education, and the United Methodist Church. Her professional affiliations include the Society of Biblical Literature, American Academy of Religion, Society for the Study of Black Religion, Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars, National Black MBA Association and African Methodist Episcopal Church, ordained itinerate elder.
Regarding her thoughts as she continues her journey at CTS, Rev. Russaw said, “I look forward to learning alongside students as we explore the biblical world, examine the texts that emerged from it, and make responsible connections between it and our modern contexts.”
Rev. Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen will bring her interests in practical theology, biblical ethics, feminism and motherhood, and postcolonial and contextual biblical criticisms, to her new role at CTS. Lindeman Allen earned a Ph.D. in New Testament and Early Christianity and a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago; as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology from Texas Lutheran University. Her recent teaching
background includes positions at Columbia Theological Seminary and Truckee Meadows Community College. She has been recognized for academic excellence as a Theology and Practice Fellow at Vanderbilt University.
Lindeman Allen was awarded the Luke Acts Prize from Vanderbilt University and the Pacesetter Award for College Excellence from Texas Lutheran University. A prolific writer, Lindeman Allen has published articles in Currents in Theology and Mission and the Journal of Childhood and Religion and contributes to several print and online preaching and lectionary sources. Lindeman Allen brings a servant’s heart to community activism, serving organizations that address homelessness and housing equity, dementia friendliness and immigration policy. As co-lead pastor, she most recently served at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, an openly welcoming and affirming downtown congregation in Reno, NV. As she relocates from Reno, Nevada to Indianapolis, Rev. Lindeman Allen looks forward to connecting with various community and ministry initiatives engaged with the Seminary. “As someone who had always been involved in the broader community in which I serve, I envision ways in which students in my classes might make connections between their academic learning, ministry contexts and the surrounding community,” she said.
Remarking on the addition of new faculty members to CTS, CTS interim president Rev. Dr. Bill Kincaid stated, “We are blessed to have Rev. Dr. Lindeman Allen and Rev. Dr. Russaw join Christian Theological Seminary. I look forward to all the ways they will enrich our community of learning, worship, and service.” He added, “The pedagogy, activism, and passion for pioneering social justice embodied by both women will be tremendous assets to CTS and the wider community.”
Dean Leah Gunning Francis stated, “Our faculty is delighted to welcome these trailblazing biblical scholars and innovative teachers to CTS and to work with them as colleagues.”
