Duke Divinity School

For the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, preaching requires imagination.

Moss joined Duke Divinity School as the featured preacher and lecturer for the 2026 Gardner C. Taylor Lecture Series, hosted by the Office of Black Church Studies. Across worship and lecture events, he explored preaching as an art form — one that draws from music, film, storytelling, and culture while remaining rooted in the work of proclaiming the Gospel.

“We are stewards, poets, prophets,” Moss said. “I would submit this day that we are DJ's with an assignment to produce a mixtape, homiletic for this moment and movement for dignity and flourishing.”

Read more about Moss’ visit, his reflections on preaching and art, and why he says “the camera now has theology.” 🔗 https://divinity.duke.edu/news/2026-gardner-c-taylor-lecture

Duke Divinity School is hosting a series of events across North Carolina celebrating the school’s centennial and its longstanding partnership with The United Methodist Church in North Carolina.

The gatherings will offer an opportunity to hear remarks from Dean Edgardo Colón-Emeric and learn from distinguished alumni during a panel discussion about the impact of theological education on their calls to ministry.

Registration is recommended but not required. Please invite anyone who may be interested in learning more about Duke Divinity School or discerning a call to ministry!

Learn more about the dates and locations across the state: https://divinity.duke.edu/events/fostering-culture-call-umc

As part of Duke Divinity’s centennial commemorations, we’ve launched a new self-guided tour exploring the architecture, artwork, and history of the school.

The tour includes 13 stops throughout the Divinity School, from the Kilgo portico to the Duke Divinity Library, Goodson Chapel and Alumni Memorial Common Room. It also highlights two pieces installed for the centennial year: Anathea Portier-Young’s quilt, "(We Are) The Body of Christ," and a life-size replica of Timothy Schmalz’s "Angels Unawares."

Faculty and staff from across the school share the stories and significance behind each space and piece of art.

Explore the tour and see the Divinity School through a new lens: https://divinity.duke.edu/news/duke-divinity-announces-art-and

Duke Divinity School Professor Reinhard Huetter was appointed by the late Pope Francis to the International Theological Commission, which recently published the English version of its wide-ranging treatise "Quo vadis, humanitas?"— cited by the current Pope Leo XIV—on the nature of humanity in the face of technological transformation. In the latest episode of our "Sounds of Faith" podcast, Dr. Huetter discusses how the church centers God and humanity in its discernment about the serious challenges of AI.

Listen and subscribe: https://chapel.duke.edu/news/how-church-responding-ai/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Sounds+of+Faith

"There is a horizon of fundamental human dignity, of human justice, and of a life together that's ordered to the common good, and that must transcend the technological paradigm," Dr. Huetter says in the interview.

A visiting professor of Catholic theology at Duke Divinity School, Dr. Huetter is also a senior scholar with the school's Fons Vitae Catholic intellectual initiative and a faculty advisor for the Thomistic Institute student group.

"What happens when the community starts to look to you to do the thing that only Jesus can do?"

The Rev. Lisa Yebuah, MDiv ’04, and lead pastor at Southeast Raleigh Table, preached in Goodson Chapel as part of the Centennial Preaching Series, "Our Calling to Fulfill."

She encouraged students and other listeners to remember their role and their calling in God's work. Not to be God, but to participate in the work. To be ready to unbind.

Current students, faculty, and staff can see the full sermon on Panopto.

There's less than one week left to register for Duke Divinity School’s 2026 Convocation & Pastors’ School!

Join clergy and laity from across Christian traditions Oct. 12–13 for two days of worship, lectures, seminars, conversation and community centered on our calling to serve the church and the world.

This year’s program includes conversations with Duke Divinity faculty and church leaders, a United Methodist bishops panel, practical seminars, worship in Duke Chapel and Goodson Chapel, and a special live taping of Everything Happens with Kate Bowler and Tim Shriver.

📅 Oct. 12–13
📍 Duke University
⏰ Registration closes Sept. 27

Register now: https://divinity.duke.edu/programs/cps

In his most recent Duke Chronicle column, Duke Divinity professor and dean of Duke Chapel Luke Powery reflects on the idea of sacred spaces, writing, "If prison can be sacred, then so can a university like Duke."

"To experience the sacred doesn’t mean there can’t be challenges or sadness or difficult times. The sacred is life, all of life. It permeates places," he says. "Most important to this perspective is the sacredness of life. ... we are stewards of each other as we handle one another with grace, understanding, care, love and delight."

Read the column: https://ow.ly/Uhrx50ZPeIy

Congrats to these Duke Divinity alum! 🎓

Two community leaders in Durham are the recipients of Duke Chapel’s Humanitarian Service Award. Laura Steed is the executive director and community leader of L'Arche North Carolina, which builds community among people with and without disabilities. Rev. Chris Breslin is the pastor of Oak Church, which emphasizes building Christian community rooted in its neighborhood.

The Chapel’s Humanitarian Service Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated both a long-term commitment to serving others and a lifestyle marked by simplicity. This year’s recipients will each be honored with a grant of $1,500 given to a nonprofit they designate. They will also be recognized at a reception on Sunday, September 27, at 1:00 p.m.

Read more about the Humanitarian Service Award recipients: https://chapel.duke.edu/news/duke-chapel-recognizes-service-two-durham-community-leaders/

Don't miss the new Sarah P. Duke Gardens Garden Gateway! 🌸

The new renovations, completed in the spring, include the new Barnes Welcome Center, with a garden cafe, visitor lobby, gallery, classrooms and an outdoor plaza. Plus, expanded green space, updated Doris Duke Center, and a more accessible entrance.

If you haven't had a chance to explore it yet, check out the new spaces this fall ↘️ https://gardens.duke.edu/gateway/