Religious and Spiritual Life

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Meet the Chaplain The Rev. Dr. Teri McDowell Ott has been an ordained Presbyterian (PCUSA) minister for more than 13 years. After receiving her Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, she served the church in a variety of positions, most recently as the pastor of Cameron Presbyterian Church in Cameron, N.C. In 2008 she completed her Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary.

She began serving Monmouth College as Chaplain in January of 2011. She is married to the Rev. Dr. Daniel J. Ott, who serves Monmouth College as Assistant Professor of Religious Studies.

Worship Chapel Services are held every Monday during the academic year in Dahl Chapel from 12:10 to 12:40 pm. A variety of music and a meditation on scripture led by a member of the faculty, staff, the College Chaplain, or a student are always offered during Chapel Services. Students, staff, faculty, and community members are welcome to attend these ecumenical worship services.

Special Worship Services, such as Christmas Convocation, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, and Baccalaureate Service, are held throughout the year.

The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life serves the spiritual needs of the college community and its individual members through exploration, discussion, and development. Its programming provides opportunities for growth, expansion of mutual understanding, and engagement with members of the community at large through faith-based activities. The office is based in Weeks House, an elegant and comfortable Victorian home, conveniently located at the edge of campus.

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Weeks House

Lux Church and Religious Leadership Program A distinctive program developed by Monmouth College to nurture and equip students to be servant leaders, Lux prepares students of faith for church and religious leadership through internships, ministry experiences, service opportunities, educational trips, and retreats. Through theological exploration, spiritual discernment, and intentional reflection, Lux seeks to awaken students to the complexities of faith and life and shape them into thoughtful people who actively contribute to the well-being of their communities and their world.

Servant Leaders—Through the Lux Program, students are challenged to develop a dynamic faith that grows through awareness and action. Faith-based service opportunities mobilize student to serve within the Monmouth community and alternative spring break trips in a variety of societal and cultural contexts nurture students to be servant leaders. Students are also encouraged to serve the Church by hosting retreats and programs for high school youth and providing worship leadership to congregations.

Vocationally-Driven Leaders—To whom or to what is God calling you?

The Lux Program leads students to ask these questions of themselves and their communities. Considerable time is spent helping students discern their vocation through small group discussions led by faculty and staff, personal counseling with the Chaplain, and special retreats where students learn the art of discernment through spiritual practices.

Students are also introduced to prominent religious leaders brought to

campus for the theological exploration of vocation and to share about their own sense of call.

Lux Leadership Interns — Each year, the Chaplain selects students to serve as Lux Leadership Interns.

Each intern receives extensive ministry experience in worship planning and leadership, program development, group development, and teaching. Internships are individually tailored to a student’s interests, and include time spent time reading, writing and reflecting on the individual’s vocation.

Presbyterian Leaders—Presbyterian students are offered additional experiences and opportunities that are specifically Presbyterian-related.

Presbyterian students attend a spiritual retreat in the fall semester. They are invited to meet with Presbyterian leaders who visit campus and are offered scholarships for special travel opportunities and to attend national Presbyterian conferences.

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Religious Life Organizations Monmouth College provides a wealth of opportunities for student involvement in religious life through clubs, organizations and study and worship groups: Faith-Based Alternative Spring Break—The Chaplain’s office sponsors an annual faith-based alternative spring break trip to provide students with a wide-range of experience in areas such as urban ministry, interfaith ministry, border ministry, disaster-relief work, poverty immersion experiences, and international service.

Meditation Group—Under the leadership of the College Chaplain, this campus organization meets weekly to practice meditation from a variety of religious traditions and discuss their experiences.

Presbyterian House—The Presbyterian House at 815 East Broadway (across the street from Dahl Chapel) is a hub for religious life on campus.

Every Sunday evening students are invited to the Presbyterian House for dinner and devotions. Special 5

programs, events and meals are also hosted here throughout the year.

Newman Club—The St. Augustine Newman Center is at the service of all Catholic students and those interested in Catholicism.

Its programs include Bible studies, a film series, Theology on Tap lectures, and monthly meals. Mass is also held monthly on campus.

Colorful Voices of Praise Gospel Choir uses gospel music and arts rooted in the black church to contribute educationally, culturally and socially to the Monmouth College life.

Ignite, a nondenominational Christian group, meets on campus weekly for Bible study and fellowship.

Campus Outreach, an interdenominational organization, leads students in Bible study and fellowship.

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Samuel M. Thompson Memorial Lecture Series The late Samuel M. Thompson ’24, for whom this distinguished lecture series is named, served in the Monmouth College philosophy department for 46 years. After graduating from MC, he earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in philosophy from Princeton University. Most notable among his publications were two popular textbooks: A Modern Philosophy of Religion and The Nature of Philosophy. He was also a chief author of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Confession of 1967.

Notable Thompson Lecturers have included: • Cornel West, Princeton University, “The Historicist Turn in American Philosophy” • Diogenes Allen, Princeton Theological Seminary, “Christian Belief in a Post-Modern World” • James Sterba, University of Notre Dame, “Feminist Justice and Sexual Harassment” • Martin Marty, University of Chicago, “The Liberal Arts College is a Vocational School” • Mark Schwehn, Valparaiso University, “Making Things Right: Doing Justice and Composing Narratives in Ian McEwan’s Atonement” • Jill Ker Conway, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “Thinking About Women” • Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki, Claremont School of Theology, “Tracing Redemption in the Films of Clint Eastwood”

‘Meaning of Life’ Program Sponsored by the Sam Thompson Society, MC’s philosophy and religion club, the Meaning of Life program is a weekly, informal gathering of students and faculty who meet over lunch on Fridays to talk about all manner of topics—philosophical, religious, and political.

Sacred Music Performing Ensembles The highly-select, 50-member Monmouth Chorale frequently performs sacred music as a staple of its repertoire, from classical works to spirituals and gospel songs. The Chorale participates in college worship services several times each year and serves as the centerpiece for the annual “Christmas at Monmouth” concert. The Chorale maintains an active and demanding rehearsal and performance schedule. It serves as an ambassador to alumni, prospective students, and the general public and has toured extensively both nationally, visiting nearly half the states in the country, and internationally, including recent tours of Scotland and Spain, and a performance in New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Other groups that perform substantial repertoires of sacred music include The Monmouth College Wind Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, Concert Choir, and the Pipes and Drums band.

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Department of Philosophy and Religion The Faculty Dr. Hannah Schell is Profes-

Courses of Interest: relg 101 Introduction to the Old Testament relg 108 Introduction to the New Testament

sor of Religious relg 200 History of Christian Thought Studies and relg 207 Ethics: Religious and Philosophical has been relg 210 Judaism & Islam teaching at Monmouth relg 213 Philosophy of Religion College relg 220 Women & Religion since 2001, relg 244 Religion and Politics including courses in the study of religion, eth- relg 250 (Special Topics): Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Mission and Message ics, philosophy of religion, relg 300 Philosophy and Religions of Asia eastern religions and the history of Christian thought. Her scholarly interests focus on the problem of evil and how Americans narrate tragic events. She is also interested in the role that students’ religious commitments play in their educational experiences. Schell completed her B.A. in Philosophy at Oberlin College, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Religion from Princeton University.

Dr. Anne Mamary is Associate Professor of Philosophy and chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. She earned her Ph.D. in the Philosophy, Culture, and Interpretation program in the Philosophy Department at the State University of New York at Binghamton. She teaches, among other things, History of Philosophy, Environmental Ethics, Philosophy & Feminism, Africana Philosophy, Logic, and a Reflections Course on Harry Potter. Her primary areas of research interest are Plato and Feminist Philosophy. She has been at Monmouth since 2004.

The Rev. Dr. Daniel J. Ott is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies. He holds the Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion and Theology from Claremont Graduate University, the M.Div. from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the Bachelor of Music from West Virginia University. Ott’s scholarship is focused on community and communitarianism, and peace and nonviolence. He is the author of several journal articles and review articles including his most recent, “Toward a Realistic, Public, Christian Pacifism,” published in the American Journal of Theology and Philosophy.

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Visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/mcReligiousLife To schedule a campus visit and apply: www.monmouthcollege.edu/admissions

Office of Admissions 700 East Broadway, Monmouth IL 61462-1998 800-747-2687 or 309-457-2131 admissions@monmouthcollege.edu

Monmouth College admits students of any race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to Monmouth students.

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