Alumni Spotlight | Darryl W. Stephens
Laney Alumni Daryl Stephens
What led you to Emory/Laney to pursue your degree?
Academics and church played important roles in my decision to attend Emory. I had connected with Professor Jon Gunnemann at Emory regarding my interest in the moral philosophy of H. Richard Niebuhr. I sought the combination of Christian ethics, social theory, and sociology of religion that Emory offered. The program turned out to be a great fit for me professionally. Furthermore, my wife and I are United Methodists. We really appreciated the opportunity to explore our faith tradition deeply at Laney and Candler.
It also took a bit of divine grace. Myka (wife) and I lived in Dallas, Texas, preparing for our upcoming wedding and both applying for graduate school. At first, we had declined Emory and accepted offers from different schools in Chicagoland. On Palm Sunday, we decided to reverse course. Myka called Candler School of Theology the next day and learned that they were holding her scholarship; I called the Graduate Division of Religion, expressing renewed desire to enter the program in ethics and society. By Thursday, we had both confirmed our acceptances. It was a joyful Holy Week!
Tell us a little about your research on trauma-informed pedagogy.
I first encountered the concept of trauma-informed care while helping churches address the aftermath of clergy sexual abuse of adults. Individuals, their families, and entire congregations are traumatized when a pastor violates the sacred trust of ministry by exploiting a congregant. Awareness of psychological trauma gradually permeated my scholarship and teaching. My understanding of trauma-informed pedagogy was enhanced significantly by working with colleague Stephanie Crumpton through a Wabash grant-funded project and, later, co-editing Teaching Sexuality and Religion in Higher Education: Embodied Learning, Trauma Sensitive Pedagogy, and Perspective Transformation (Routledge 2020). I have learned that trauma-informed pedagogy is not the same as teaching about trauma.
COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter have further heightened my attention to trauma-informed pedagogy. During summer 2020, I prepared an article as the anchor essay for a special issue of Spotlight on Teaching.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your career?
I have been a teacher since my teenage years and am energized through classroom interactions. My students challenge me to think deeply and stay relevant to what is going on in the world (the starting point for H. Richard Niebuhr’s moral philosophy). Research is how I investigate what is going on; writing is how I make sense of it all. When my teaching, research, and writing find resonance, it is a very rewarding experience.
Additionally, my recent book proposal was accepted and is forthcoming from Routledge in 2021 titled: The Practice of Mission in Global Methodism: Emerging Trends from Everywhere to Everywhere.
You have accomplished a lot during the pandemic, how did you manage to stay motivated during such a difficult time?
Self-motivation is an essential trait for a partially funded scholar; this trait has proven to be my strong suit during the pandemic. Most of my research and publishing is unfunded; yet it is a calling that I continue because it is intrinsically fulfilling. Seeing an article or a book that I have labored to birth is a satisfying feeling. Each of my publications, presentations, and blog posts motivates me to further accomplishment. It is important to recognize and celebrate each achievement, no matter how small, in order to stay motivated.
My family has also given me strength. In March, soon after the shelter-in-place order was issued in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my teenage son asked if I would be his exercise partner. We awoke at 7 AM every morning, alternating aerobics and calisthenics. For the first time in my life, I had a daily exercise routine, one that we maintained together for six months and that I still strive for.
What’s the best advice you can offer graduate students?
The world needs good scholarship. Clarity of thought, accessible writing, thorough research, well-considered factual evidence, penetrating analysis, good questions, and curiosity to learn—society needs what scholars are trained to do. Too many graduate students envision anything “less than” a tenure-track position after graduation as a failure. I encourage graduate students to consider how they can put their skills and passion to work outside the academy. This is a theme I wrote about in the Introduction to Reenvisioning Christian Ethics (MDPI 2020). Would law school graduates only consider their careers successful if they found teaching positions in other law schools? Of course not!
It might be helpful to think of scholarship as professional training—not just for post-secondary teaching but also for corporations, social service organizations, government, and community leadership. For example, after leaving Emory, I served in a position of leadership in The United Methodist Church addressing clergy sexual abuse within the denomination for five years. I put all of my PhD skills to work in this context. The relationships I developed during that time continue to bear fruit.
How did your Emory experience impact what you’re doing today?
My experience at Emory made a profound impact and continues to shape my scholarship today. The Graduate Division of Religion provided a collaborative space for exploring theology and philosophy, theory and praxis, lived religion and faith. Elizabeth Bounds, my mentor, encouraged me to explore various methodologies in ethics during my dissertation work. This methodological openness and an awareness of critical feminist theories are both continuing features of my scholarship. In addition, the collaborative ethos at Emory made coursework, exams, and the dissertation stage enjoyable learning experiences shared through deep friendships. This ethos also emboldened me after graduation to envision research that I could not attempt on my own.
Please share upcoming news or anything else that we should know about you.
Currently, I am working on two projects: writing a trauma-informed Christian ethics textbook and directing a grant-funded research project, “Educating for a Thriving Bivocational Ministry.” I anticipate publication of my first article on bivocational ministry in December 2020. In coming months, I will post updates on both of these projects on my website, www.ethicsconsidered.com.
Stephens current research includes:
“Trauma-Informed Pedagogy for the Religious and Theological Higher Education Classroom.” Special issue Reflecting on the Possibilities of Religious Education Research. Religions 11, no. 9 (2020): 449. doi:10.3390/rel11090449.
In 2020, Stephens published four books:
• Teaching Sexuality and Religion in Higher Education: Embodied Learning, Trauma Sensitive Pedagogy, and Perspective Transformation. Routledge Research in Religion and Education. Co-edited with Kate Ott. New York: Routledge, April 2020.
• Reenvisioning Christian Ethics. Print edition of the special issue published in Religions. Basel: MDPI, August 2020. https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-03928- 395-8.
• Liberating the Politics of Jesus: Renewing Peace Theology through the Wisdom of Women. Studies in Anabaptist Theology and Ethics. Co-edited with Elizabeth Soto Albrecht. New York: Bloomsbury / T&T Clark, Sept 2020.
• Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom: Living into the Church’s Moral Witness through Radical Discipleship. New York: United Methodist Women, October 2020. Congratulations to Rev. Dr. Stephens!