2023 Black Religious Thought and Life Launch

I am passionate about the intersections of black religious thought, life, and practice - especially as it relates to social justice and radical political movements. I'm excited to advise a program dedicated to investigating the lived experiences of black religious folk and the many ways they strive to survive and thrive within systems of injustice.

Rev. Joi Orr, Ph.d, Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics at Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) and BRTL Advisory Board Member

About Black Religious Thought and Life (BRTL) Program at CRCDS

The Black Religious Thought & Life (BRTL) at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (CRCDS) is rooted in Black prophetic faith traditions and committed to liberation, equity, and inclusion. BRTL understands that Black religious experiences and expressions are vast and exist within, and beyond, church walls and other sacred spaces. BRTL also recognizes that Black religious and spiritual experiences lend themselves to public and personal inquiry, critical reflection, action, and advocacy. Toward that end, BRTL celebrates the diversity of thought in Black religious studies, advocates for social transformation and liberation, and cultivates bodies of knowledge and experiences relative to Black religious thought and life toward contextually-relevant scholarship and practice.

Check our our line up of events and workshops for the Black Religious Thought and Life Launch Week for March 13 - 16, 2023 in the video below:

For Previous Facebook Live Conversations, Click HERE

Black Religious Thought and Life Launch Week:

March 13 - 16, 2023

Download the BRTL Launch Week Flyer HERE.

Monday, March 13

4:15 pm, Eastern

Black Religious Thought and Life Chapel and Workshop on Black Preaching

Preacher and Workshop Leader: Rev. Dr. Shazetta Thompson-Hill, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program and Faculty Affiliate at CRCDS in Rochester, New York.

REGISTER HERE

Note: This chapel service and workshop will be only offered virtually through Zoom. The chapel service will be from 4:15 pm - 5:00 pm with a 15-minute break and then the workshop will be held from 5:15 pm - 5:45 pm utilizing the same Zoom session.

Tuesday, March 14

4:15 pm, EasternBlack Religious Thought and Life Workshop: Land and the Black Community

Workshop Leader: Rev. Dr. Joi R. Orr, Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics at Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

REGISTER HERE

Please note: Due to the anticipated inclement weather in Western New York area, the Black Religious Thought and Life (BRTL) Workshops planned for Tuesday, March 14^th and Wednesday, March 15^th will not be in HYFLEX format. They will instead be offered online only. For additional information, visit www.crcds.edu/brtl.

Wednesday, March 15

4:15 pm, EasternBlack Religious Thought and Life Workshop: Black Spiritual & Communal Care

Workshop Leader: Rev. Dr. Jamie Eaddy Chism, CRCDS '20, Womanist Theologian, Loss Navigation Specialist, and Death Doula.

REGISTER HERE

Thursday, March 16

4:15 pm, Eastern

Black Religious Thought and Life Engaging Rochester Event & Reception

We invite you to join us for a special Engaging Rochester event as we launch CRCDS 's Black Religious Thought & Life (BRTL) program. BRTL is rooted in Black prophetic faith traditions and is a continuation and expansion of CRCDS’s previous Black Church Studies program. At this event, you will have an opportunity to meet the school's president, Dr. Angela D. Sims, the BRTL program director, and the BRTL Advisory Board members.

Special Note: This event includes a closing reception after the program. Part 1 will be available in-person and online, while Part 2 will only be for those in-person on campus. We kindly ask that you RSVP using the registration link above for both online and in-person attendance. The tentative schedule is as follows:'

Part 1: 4:15 pm - 5:00 pm - Engaging Rochester with Dr. Kishundra D. King

Part 2: 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Black Religious Thought and Life Reception w/ light refreshments and food

All are welcome to join us!

Black Religious Thought and Life ON-DEMAND Workshops

BRTL On Demand

I am committed to both the Black Church (and Black Religion in general) and Black Religious Studies. The former has been and continues to be an institutional hub of Black Life and Black Resistance, while the latter offers as space for critical interrogation, reflection and praxis.

Dr. Herbert R. Marbury, Associate professor of Hebrew Bible and Black Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University and BRTL Advisory Board Member