From biblical scholarship and theology to poetry, ethics, preaching, and public life, Duke Divinity School faculty continue to publish work that speaks to the church and the world.

Authored by TMC alumni Hima Bindu Thota, Clark Howell, and John Dortch, alongside TMC affiliate faculty member Ryan Antiel, this paper reimagines surgical practice through the lens of the Sabbath, offering a theological counter to medicine’s fixation on efficiency. It invites clinicians to recover a sense of sacred time and moral formation that restores presence, dignity, and the practice of healing.

The service honored five women who earned the Certificate of Achievement in Theological Education, studying theology, religion, and ethics alongside residential Duke Divinity students.

At its Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation Program celebration luncheon, the Center for Reconciliation honored 34 participants who completed one of two certificate programs designed to equip Christian leaders to navigate conflict.

Duke Divinity School celebrated over 150 graduating students at the 2026 Baccalaureate Service on May 9 in Duke Chapel. Other events included Closing Convocation, an academic awards ceremony, and Graduate Cross services.

With a strong commitment to congregational vitality, the Forum will provide leaders and communities across Christian traditions a place for connection, exploration, and fresh perspectives about congregational life.

The first graduating class has completed the Hispanic Latino/a Pastoral Initiative Certificate in Theology, a program that provides online training in Spanish and Portuguese to pastors and church leaders from across Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the U.S.

Duke Divinity School announced the student recipients of several academic awards for the 2025-26 academic year at a special awards reception held on April 13.

At Duke Divinity School’s annual Jill Raitt Worship and Lecture, the community gathered to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Jill Raitt, who was a pioneering scholar and advocate for women in theological education.

The new certificate can be earned alongside a degree and is aimed at students who are interested in working in advocacy, public witness, peacebuilding, and reconciliation.

Benjamin, who is the Duke Divinity School library director, will serve a three-year term on the board of directors for the association of librarians and information professionals.

In celebration of the 140th anniversary of Methodist mission work, President Kyung-dong Yoo of Methodist Theological University in Korea (MTU) visited Duke Divinity School in January, marking a significant new chapter in the schools’ growing international partnership.

Every Tuesday in February, the Divinity School celebrated the distinct contributions of the school’s alumni of African descent in the Sankofa Alumni Preaching Series.

Duke Divinity School welcomed Hawkins, director of the Office of Public Witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA), for “The Role of Faith in Public Life,” where he challenged attendees to consider how the church embodies its calling.

Professor Tinoco Ruiz will serve as a fellow in the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Leaders Network program, developing as a leader with faculty peers from across the ACC.

The new programs build on Duke University’s unique interdisciplinary connections and academic strengths at the intersection of theological studies, environmental issues, and public policy.

Rushing will serve as an artist-in-context at Duke Divinity School, studying the negro spiritual with faculty and developing a new iteration of his 2024 Ailey ballet "Sacred Songs" for debut at Duke in April 2026.

Dr. Jeremy Begbie, Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and The McDonald Agape Director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts, will deliver the Gifford Lectures at the University of Aberdeen in fall 2026.

Co-edited by DITA Associate Director Dr. Daniel Train, "Naming the Spirit: Pneumatology Through the Arts" was the recipient of Intervarsity Press's Reader's Choice Award in the Arts & Humanities category.

Dean Edgardo Colón-Emeric contributes to Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission book that examines the theological progress made over the past six decades between the Catholic and Methodist Churches.