Bernard "Chris" Dorsey

Faculty Fellow

M.Div. Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Grad. Cert. in African Studies, Northwestern University

Ph.D. Candidate, University of Chicago

“In my endeavor to serve the present age, I am firmly committed to church, academy and society. For me, ministry is about engaging in faithful stewardship of Christ’s church; reflecting intellectually on the nature, conditions and contexts of our faith; and working with all of humanity to create a more just and peaceable society. It also my fervent belief that God calls us not to silos, but to open pastures where we might encounter, and be formed by, the multivalent expressions of God’s creation.”

    • CM501 Multicultural Ministry: Theory and Practice
        This course examines the paradigms, practices, and challenges of multicultural ministry with a particular focus on urban contexts. We begin the course by looking at biblical and theological paradigms related to multiculturalism followed by an examination of the role of race, ethnicity and cultural specificity in adhesion and tension within communities of faith. In the second half of the course we work toward understanding the intersections between multicultural realities and practical aspects of Christian ministry within the church.
    • CM599 Theology and Social Movements
        This course examines the relationship between social transformation and faith by studying some of the most significant social movements of the past 100 years. Through scholarly writings, literature and film we will explore the theological and ethical concerns involved in the efforts of groups to achieve a more just society. Particular attention will be given to how urban communities of faith conceive of and engage in social transformation. Notions of God’s divine reign of justice; how the oppressed marshal spiritual resources; and the dichotomies between majority and minority perspectives will be central to the course.
    • MN547 Preaching in the Urban Context
        This course examines homiletic strategies for preaching and effectively communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ in urban, contemporary settings with particular attention given to preaching in diverse racial-ethnic contexts. Participants will engage themes such as prophetic preaching, the role of celebration in preaching, and preaching as community transformation. The course is designed to encourage reflection on maintaining a commitment to the biblical text, while also being attentive to urban context and the person of the preacher.
    

Background

Professor Bernard “Chris” Dorsey is the 2011-12 Faculty Fellow at Western Theological Seminary, teaching in the areas of theology and urban ministry. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he holds a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and a Graduate Certificate in African Studies from Northwestern University. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in theology at the University of Chicago where he is completing his dissertation on traditional medicine in Senegal with a focus on exploring the hermeneutics of healing.

Professor Dorsey has served in a variety of ministerial capacities including: VP of Development and Marketing a Chicago Theological Seminary; University Chaplain at Clark Atlanta University; Senior Pastor of Woodlawn United Methodist Church, Youth Pastor at Park Manor Christian Church and Lead Chaplain for a Cook County clinic servicing patients affected by HIV/AIDS. He has taught at the University of Chicago, Dominican University, McCormick Theological Seminary, and Clark Atlanta University. His teaching experiences have included Theology, History of Christianity African American Religion, Homiletics, Religion & Medicine, African Studies and Intro to World Religions, to name a few.