Van Meter named NEH Summer Scholar

The National Endowment for the Humanities has selected Timothy Van Meter, associate professor of Christian education and youth ministry at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, as an NEH Summer Scholar. He will participate in an NEH Summer Institute titled “Extending the Land Ethic: Current Humanities Voices and Sustainability.”

The four-week program will be held at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and is directed by faculty from Arizona State University. Scholars will study with leading voices in the fields of environmental ethics, nature writing and sustainability studies.

During the Summer Institute, Van Meter will develop a summer residential experience for college undergraduates centered on MTSO’s Seminary Hill Farm as a context for learning about food, land use and theology. He also will work on a faculty lecture encouraging faith communities to rethink stewardship of their land in light of Aldo Leopold’s land ethic, which advocates enlarging the boundaries of the community to include soil, water, plants and animals.

“This award came out of a large, competitive pool among a variety of colleges and universities. We’re pleased to have Dr. Van Meter among this select group of scholars,” said MTSO Dean Lisa Withrow.

Van Meter is the author of the 2012 book “Created in Delight: Youth, Church, and the Mending of the World,” which outlines an approach to youth ministry that puts humans’ relationship with all of creation front and center. He will present a faculty lecture, “Millennial Dreaming: Cultivating Hope and Ecological Vision,” at 1 p.m. April 20 in the Alford Centrum on the MTSO campus, 3081 Columbus Pike in Delaware. It is free and open to the public.

Methodist Theological School in Ohio prepares leaders of many faith traditions for lives of lasting significance in service to the church and the world. In addition to the Master of Divinity degree, the school offers master’s degrees in counseling ministries, theological studies and practical theology, along with a Doctor of Ministry degree. 

CONTACT:

Danny Russell, director of communications
drussell@mtso.edu, 740-362-3322