The Rev. Serene Jones. Photo courtesy Ron Hester.

The resurgence of progressive, socially-engaged Christianity will be celebrated as the UCC's historically-related Union Theological Seminary inaugurates its 16th president – renowned feminist theologian, the Rev. Serene Jones – and marks the 100th anniversary of its location at Broadway and 122nd Street in New York City, on Nov. 16 and 17. Jones is the first woman to lead the Seminary in its 172-year history.

The two-day celebration will culminate with the inauguration of Jones on Monday, Nov. 17, at 6:00 PM, at Riverside Church (UCC/American Baptist) in New York City.  During her address, Jones is expected to lay out a vision of progressive Christianity in a global city and to chart a course forward for Union as the center of a progressive theological revival. She is taking as her text the Little Apocalypse in Mark's Gospel, which describes a world in cataclysmic upheaval (Mark 13).

According to Jones, "Even though the religious right has dominated public consciousness of Christianity for the last eight years, we see a clear resurgence of progressive Christianity again in these tumultuous times. The vigorous rebirth of Union Theological Seminary after its near financial demise, and the central role that the philosophy of Union's Reinhold Niebuhr has played in the 2008 presidential election, are just two of many indicators that the country's religious landscape is changing."

Jones contends that the inclusive, loving voice of the Christian faith, which embraces all of humankind and is intolerant of systematic and personal injustice, is just what those in this world who are broken by poverty, the violence of war and a debilitating sense of anomie need to hear. "Although Union has been teaching and preaching this message for the last 172 years, it has never been more relevant. Our world is undergoing seismic shifts the likes of which are most akin to the Reformations 500 years ago. Now is the time to recast a theological vision that answers to our time," Jones says.

Jones is a feminist Christian theologian whose scholarly work engages social and political issues from a progressive position. As a Christian pastor and theologian, she brings a new emphasis on explicitly theological reflection to Union's vision of spiritual, intellectual and socially-engaged Christianity asking what progressive social justice issues say about God, sin, redemption, and grace.

Jones is an ordained minister in both the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. She was educated at the University of Oklahoma and received her M.Div. and Ph.D. in theology at Yale.

Prior to her appointment as Union's president, Jones spent 17 years on the Yale Divinity School faculty, most recently as the Titus Street Professor of Theology. She also held faculty appointments at Yale Law School, in the Department of African American Studies, and served as the chair of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Yale University.

To learn more about President Jones please see <utsnyc.edu/serenejones>.

The two day celebration also includes a worship service at Riverside Church on Nov. 16 where Jones will preach, a panel of experts on Monday afternoon, and a community reception. For a complete list of activities, see <utsnyc.edu/inauguration>.