'Creating Meaningful Dialogue': Travis Stevens, MDiv '09
Travis Stevens received a master of divinity degree on June 4. Below, he discusses the ways in which his experiences at HDS have helped to shape his life.
What were your initial expectations before you started at HDS? Similarly, was there anything that surprised you about the School when you first arrived?
When I began the master of divinity degree program at HDS, I was expecting a diverse community of scholars and practitioners of various religions. This was indeed the kind of community I found, although I was surprised to learn that the conversations between the academically focused students and the students focused on lived religion were as fraught as they were. These two groups often ask very different sets of questions, such that creating meaningful dialogue between them is a challenging task.
Academically, what was your focus?
When I arrived, I had very little idea of what I might study within the broad rubric of Christianity. I began by cultivating an interest in sex/gender/sexuality and feminism, and I eventually decided to focus on the religious and intellectual history of the Middle Ages, particularly around heresy.
How have you been personally impacted by your experiences at HDS? What, if anything, has changed about you as a result of your time here?
First and foremost, I have been thoroughly affected by the generosity and support of a number of different people at the Divinity School. It would be impossible to name everyone who has touched my life during my time at the Divinity School, so I will name only a few.
I have enjoyed getting to know Roy Lauridsen, facilities manager at HDS,
through a field education placement with what became the HDS Green Team.
While working with the Office of Ministry Studies, I have been honored to
become a friend of Laura Lamp's. Beverly Kienzle, Amy Hollywood, and Kevin
Madigan were exceptionally generous with their time and energy as I prepared
to apply to doctoral programs.
This year, my field education placement at
the Crossing influenced my decision to become an Episcopalian. Though it has
been years in the making, the community of Anglicans and Episcopalians at
HDS has been instrumental in this shift.
What were some of the bigger challenges you faced as an HDS student?
Having never studied religion before, I had some difficulty in narrowing my field of studies. I knew I wanted to go on to doctoral work, but needed some help in sorting it all out, so I contacted Amy Hollywood, who I had heard is good at this sort of thing. She was generous enough to meet me for coffee even though she was on leave that year. She listened to my interests and sketched the possibilities on the back of a Starbucks napkin. This was typical of my experience at HDS—even top-notch faculty members are more than willing to spend time mentoring students.
Do you have any advice for incoming students?
Go to faculty office hours. It's a great way to get to know some really brilliant people and to help you develop your own academic interests. Many professors are happy to help you brainstorm about final papers. This gives you a concrete subject matter for the meeting, and an opportunity to speak more generally about your shared interests.
What are your future plans?
I am very fortunate to have been accepted to the ThD program here at the Divinity School, where I will specialize in the history of Christianity. I will also continue my work on heresy in the Middle Ages.
