NAAL Newsletter
Fall 2005
Letter from the President: Thomas Schattauer
From the Delegate for Seminars: Jill Crainshaw
Help Needed to Identify Potential Visitors: From Doris Donnelly
Local Volunteers Needed for 2007 Meeting in Toronto
From the
Vice-President: Paul Turner
Congratulations to Richard Vosko
Clarence Rivers Memorial Event
Invitation to Association of Practical Theology Events
LCD Projectors Needed for San Diego
From the NAAL Hotel Liaison: Alan Barthel
Registration Materials for 2006 Meeting
From the NAAL Secretary: Donald LaSalle
Letter from the President: Thomas Schattauer
It is a great pleasure for me to announce that the Berakah Award will go this year to Gordon Lathrop, professor of liturgy emeritus at the Lutheran School of Theology at Philadelphia. He has been a member of the Academy since 1977 and served as president in 1984. We look forward to a Berakah address from one who has contributed so richly to biblical and theological reflection on the central things of Christian worship.
The Academy Committee has also decided to give the Diekmann Award this year. This award, given on occasion to someone outside the membership of NAAL for his or her contribution to liturgical study or practice, will go to Catherine Bell, professor of religious studies at Santa Clara University, for her groundbreaking work in ritual studies. Both awards will take place at our banquet on Saturday evening. The Berakah address will follow the next morning and conclude our meeting.
Our annual meeting in San Diego, begins on Thursday, 5 January, with pre-meetings and registration in the morning and afternoon at the hotel and our opening worship at 7:00 p.m. at the University of San Diego. The meeting concludes on Sunday morning, 8 January, with breakfast, the Berakah response, and a brief closing worship. We will finish by 10:00 a.m. Following the conclusion of our meeting, there will be an opportunity for some to journey across the border to Tijuana, Mexico on a trip with guides from the continuing education department at the University of San Diego.
I encourage you to arrange your travel so that you can be present for the Berakah response on Sunday morning and, if you desire, for the sponsored trip to Tijuana through the afternoon.
Be sure to check out the information provided elsewhere in the newsletter concerning registration, hotel reservations, and ground transportation at the annual meeting.
The Academy Committee has decided to move forward with a proposal for a part-time administrative assistant for NAAL. Before the annual meeting, you will receive a copy of the proposal for your comment and consideration in advance our regular business meeting.
Finally, our secretary Don LaSalle has scanned our roster for members living in the Gulf Coast area. These include Ellis De Priest in New Orleans, Donald Martin in New Orleans, Marchita Mauck in Baton Rouge, and Steven Wilson in Mobile, Alabama. And many others have undoubtedly been affected in a variety of ways by the devastation of the hurricane. Let us remember in prayer these members and all who struggle with aftermath of the storm.
Preparing for San Diego 2006
(Visit the NAAL 2006 Meeting in San Diego section of this web site for the most recent information about the meeting.)
You may make your hotel reservation at our beautiful seaside meeting site, the Hyatt Regency Islandia (Mission Bay), by using this electronic link:
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=24361
This will lead you directly to a web page designed only for the use of our group. The page will offer you the ability to make reservations on line at the group rate, receive an instant confirmation number and add comments for any special needs. If you should choose to call in for reservations, all you need to do is to call the toll free Reservations number 1-800-233-1234. If you make your reservation by phone, be sure to identify yourself with NAAL so that you get our group rate.
Very soon you will be receiving registration materials for the San Diego meeting. Because there are very few restaurants near the hotel, we are working with the hotel to provide a number of meals that will be included in the registration fee: breakfast each morning (Fri., Sat., Sun.), two buffet/box lunches (Fri. and Sat.). For an additional charge, there will be an option for a meal at the University of San Diego prior to our opening worship at Founders Chapel on the university campus, which sits on the heights overlooking both San Diego and Mission Bays. On our free night (Fri.), Ruth Langer will host a kosher meal and Shabbat service at the hotel for any who would like to join her; there will be an additional charge for that meal as well. The registration form will include these options.
We will be providing bus transportation to and from the University of San Diego for our opening worship and the president’s reception on Thursday night. On Friday night, the free night, buses will take us first to St. Paul’s Cathedral for an Epiphany eucharist hosted by the Lutheran (ELCA) members of the Academy and following that to various restaurant locations in San Diego and all the way up to La Jolla. You will find return transport on your own (e.g., sharing cabs).
Given the location of the hotel, some may want to rent cars, but we are striving to make sure that is not a necessity. There is convenient bus/limo transportation from the airport to the hotel, and it is possible (although not always convenient) to connect by bus to the light rail system.
NAAL Membership Dues
With your registration, there will be opportunity to pay your dues for the upcoming year. The Academy Committee has decided to raise the dues—something that has not been done for a number of years--to cover the increasing costs of administration and communication (e.g., the new website). The regular membership dues will move from $65 to $75; the senior membership will move from $25 to $35; the student membership will remain at $35.
NAAL Web Site Revision
Work on the website is progressing, and we hope to see the results sometime soon. Michael Driscoll and the Website Task Force have been working with a web-consultant, Kathy Sexton, to redesign the site. The basics should be up sometime this fall, with the possibility of additional bells and whistles later.
At this point, the designer is looking for digital photos to include on the site: NAAL members, seminar groups at work, past meetings, people at worship, worship spaces, etc. Any photos should have identification of people where possible. Send photos to Kathy Sexton at kathy@alumni.nd.edu. We are also looking for news and announcements: recent death notices of members, prayer requests, awards, publications, etc. Please send these materials to our secretary Don LaSalle at Donsmm@aol.com.
Hotel Contract
A new five-year contract with the Hyatt has been completed. Future locations and meeting dates are as follows:
| (previous contract) | |
| 2007 Toronto | 4-7 January |
| (new contract) | |
| 2008 Savannah | 3-6 January |
| 2009 Baltimore | 2-5 January |
| 2010 Milwaukee | 7-10 January |
| 2011 San Francisco | 6-9 January |
| 2012 Montreal | 5-8 January |
From the Delegate for Seminars: Jill Crainshaw
In anticipation of seminar work in San Diego, we are pleased to announce the formation of a new group that will explore the power of performing arts in worship.
Twenty seminars are scheduled to meet in January. I encourage conveners to send me details of their meeting plans. Thank you again, conveners, for your leadership in seminar planning each year. I can be reached by phone at 336-758-3221 or by email at crainsjy@wfu.edu.
View seminar information online at the following web page: NAAL Seminars.
Help Needed to Identify Potential Visitors
From Doris Donnelly
Do you know someone who qualifies as a visitor and future member of NAAL?
If so, please send along contact information to me and I’ll extend visitor credentials for our San Diego meeting. We are especially interested in Latinos/Latinas in the area of Southern California (and Mexico?) for a special outreach to this important constituency. I’ll keep you posted about how wide our wing span is in attracting visitors and thank you for thinking about this effort. Contact Doris Donnelly at ddonnelly@jcu.edu.
From the Vice-President: Paul Turner
If you'd like to serve on the local committee for the 2007 meeting in Toronto, please contact Paul Turner PaulTu@aol.com.
Congratulations to Richard Vosko
We congratulate Richard Vosko, one of the founding members of NAAL, who has been inducted as an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects. Richard has been singled out for his distinguished service to the profession of architecture as a nationally known consultant for worship spaces and as an influential advocate for design excellence in religious architecture. He has been an active member in the environment study group since the beginning. We applaud Richard for the recognition he has received from this prestigious organization of his peers. You can read more about the award at http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek05/tw0204/0204honaia.htm.
Employment Opportunities
Univeristy of Dubuque, Instructor in Worship and Preaching
Yale University, Senior Faculty in Liturgical Studies
University of Dubuque
The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, a seminary of the Presbyterian Church (USA), is seeking an Instructor in Worship and Preaching to begin teaching in September 2006. This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of annual renewal. The successful candidate will be able to teach courses in Worship in the M.Div. and M.A.R. degree programs. Ability to teach homiletics is also expected. Applicants should have a vibrant commitment to Jesus Christ and the church and an appreciation of the Reformed theological tradition. A M.Div. or equivalent, ABD or Ph.D. in Worship or a related field, and pastoral experience are required. Ability to teach in the distance education program is highly desirable. Application deadline is October 3, 2005. A letter of application, curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference should be sent to Dean Bradley J. Longfield, University of Dubuque Theological seminary, 2000 University Ave., Dubuque, IA 52001. The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary is an equal opportunity, affirmative-action employer. Women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.
Yale University
Senior Faculty in Liturgical Studies.
The Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School; tenured position at the rank of either Associate Professor or Professor as appropriate. We seek a gifted teacher with distinguished publications and a professional commitment to the interdisciplinary study of liturgy. The candidate must have a proven record as a scholar in the liturgical practices of Christian faith communities present in North American (Roman Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant) and their immediate historic antecedents. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2005 and continue until the position is filled. Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, cover letter, and the names and addresses of three references to Martin Jean, Director, Yale Institute of Sacred Music, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511. A job description is available on the web-site of the ISM, http://www.yale.edu/ism, or may be obtained by calling the main office of the Institute at 203/432-9751. Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Yale values diversity in its faculty and students and especially encourages applications from women and underrepresented minorities.
Clarence Rivers Memorial Event
Freeing
the Spirit: Celebrating the Music and Legacy of
Father Clarence Joseph Rivers, Jr. Ph.D.
Friday, October 21, 2005
The Cincinnati Music Hall, Springer Auditorium
Academy members will want to note this event celebrating the life and work of Clarence Rivers. Fr. Rivers received the Berakah Award in 2002. He died November 21, 2004, at age 73. For more information, go to www.fatherriverstribute.com.
"The Spirit is free, free as sthe wind,
So is the Soul that is newborn again!!!"
(John 3:1-8)
"Start the music, soun the drum,
Strike the song – full strings."
(Ps. 81:3)
An Invitation from the Association of Practical Theology
The Association of Practical Theology (APT) cordially invites you to its Biennial Conference on “Practical Theology and its Subdisciplines: Pedagogies and the Implications,” which will take place at Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee, Friday-Sunday, April 21-23, 2006.
The conference offers an opportunity to explore through the lens of pedagogical practice commonalties and distinctions between the subdisciplines. We have invited scholars from six subdisciplines to spark conversation: religious education: (Katherine Turpin, Iliff School of Theology); worship/liturgy (John Witvliet, Calvin College); pastoral care (Kathleen Greider, Claremont School of Theology); homiletics/preaching (Brad Braxton, Vanderbilt Divinity School); leadership and administration (Tom Frank, Candler School of Theology); and mission/social ministry (Steve Bevans, Catholic Theological Union). The program will leave ample time for discussion of this topic and socializing in general, including a Saturday reception co-hosted with the Working Group on Constructive Theology, which is meeting during the same time. We will also discuss a proposal for a new major program initiative on Sunday morning.
We also invite you to attend the APT session at the American Academy of Religion on Saturday November 19, 2005 from 4:00 to 6:30 PM at the Philadelphia Convention Center, “Converging Disciplines: How I Got Interested in Practice and Context,” focuses on the “turn to the practical” in the fields of Bible, history, and systematic theology and its significance for practical theology. Michael Brown, Associate Professor of New Testament at Candler School of Theology, James Hudnut-Beumler, Dean and Anne Potter Wilson Distinguished Professor of American Religious History at Vanderbilt Divinity School and Mary McClintock Fulkerson, Associate Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School will each talk about how they became interested in practice and context. Rodney Hunter, Professor of Pastoral Theology at Candler School of Theology will respond to their reflections, exploring implications for practical theology. The program will allow for ample interaction and conclude with a brief business meeting.
Many other exciting developments in the APT are underway, including a proposal to the AAR for the formation of a Group on Practical Theology that will offer an opportunity for greater discussion and presence of scholarship in practical theology at the AAR.
To hear more about this and other developments, to register for the Biennial Conference, or to become a member of the APT, we invite you to visit our revised and updated website for further information about program and other materials: http://www.practicaltheology.org.
LCD Projectors Needed for San Diego
From the NAAL Hotel
Liaison: Alan Barthel
If there are members who have LCD projectors and are willing to bring them to the San Diego meeting for use during some of the seminar sessions, it would save the Academy considerable sums of money. If you are able to do this, please contact me at abarthel@ctr.pcusa.org and Jill Crainshaw at crainsjy@wfu.edu.
Registration Materials for 2006 Meeting
From the NAAL Secretary: Donald
LaSalle
Registration materials will be sent to you shortly, but if you would like to receive a draft copy of the schedule for the San Diego meeting, contact me at Donsmm@aol.com and I will send it to you via email. You can also get information about the conference, including the schedule on the following web page 2006 NAAL Meeting in San Diego .