Dr. Lisa Allen

Assistant Professor, Worship and Music, Area IV
-B.A., Millsaps College
-B.M., Millsaps College
-M.Div., Candler School of Theology, Emory University
-M.M.Ed., University of Southern Mississippi
-Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi

Dr. Lisa Allen became a member of the faculty in 2005. She teaches courses on Christian music and worship.  Prior to coming to ITC, she was an associate pastor of Worship and Evangelism at Kingswood UMC and is an ordained elder in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. She has a special interest in Womanist theology, African American spirituality, and worship as well as worship and liturgy. Her most significant publications include “In the Spirit: Worship in the African-American Tradition” in Companion to the Africana Worship Book; “Liturgy, Justice, and the Future of the Back Church” (forthcoming), The Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center; and two book proposals: One Word: A Guide to Holistic Worship and What Pastors Wish Musicians Knew/What Musicians Wish Pastors Knew.

Office: Chapel Bldg. 313
Phone: (404) 527-7730
E-mail: lallen@itc.edu
 

Dr. Margaret Aymer

Associate Professor, New Testament, Area I
-B.A., Harvard-Radcliff College
-M.Div., Union Theological Seminary
-M.Phil., Union Theological Seminary
-Ph.D., Union Theological Seminary

Dr. Margaret Aymer teaches courses on the New Testament and has a special interest in biblical hermeneutics, particularly how African diasporic communities signify the Bible as “scripture.” Some of her most significant publications are “Teaching Christians to ‘Read’: Theological Education and the Church”; “Empire, Alter-empire and the Twenty-first Century”; “What Do the Gospels Say about Sex and the Church?” in Frequently Asked Questions about Sexuality, the Bible, and the Church; First Pure, Then Peaceable: Frederick Douglass Reads James and a forthcoming book, African American Biblical Interpretation: An Introduction with co-author, Randall C. Bailey.

Office: Classroom Bldg 308
Phone: (404) 527-7731
E-mail: maymer@itc.edu
 

Dr. Randall C. Bailey

Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Hebrew Bible, Area I
-B.A., Brandeis University
-A.M., University of Chicago
-M.Div., Candler School of Theology, Emory University
-Ph.D., Emory University

Dr. Randall Bailey teaches courses in the Hebrew Bible. He has a special interest in the Pentateuch, historical books, the new methods of interpretation.  He concentrates on ideological criticism especially as race, class, gender, sex, and power intersect in the biblical text. Some of Bailey’s most significant publications are “Academic Biblical Interpretation among African Americans in the United States” in African Americans and the Bible: Sacred Texts and Social Textures; “The Redemption of YHWH: A Literary Critical Function of the Songs of Hannah and David”; “And They Shall Know That I Am YHWH: The P Recasting of the Plague Narratives in Exodus 7-11”; David in Love and War: The Pursuit of Power in 2 Samuel 10-12; Yet with a Steady Beat: Contemporary U.S. Afrocentric Biblical Interpretation, ed.; and The Recovery of Black Presence: An Interdisciplinary Exploration: Essays in Honor of Dr. Charles B. Copher, Jacquelyn Grant, co-ed.  

Office: Classroom Bldg. 308B
Phone: (404) 527-7754
E-mail: rcbailey@itc.edu  
 

Dr. Reginaldo Braga

Assistant Professor for Christian Education, Area IV
       -B. Th., Seminario Teologico Congregacional do Recife
       -Ed.D., Union Theological Seminary
       -ThM., Princeton Theological Seminary
       -Ph.D., Columbia University

Dr. Reginaldo Braga was New Minister for Multicultural Ministries at West Park Presbyterian Church, New York City, where his ministry involved the transition from a mono-ethnic/mono cultural church to become a multicultural/multiethnic community.   Until 1994, Dr. Braga was also a full-time professor at Seminario Teologico Congregacional do Recife, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

 Dr. Braga has an interest on /Education and Multiculturalism, Education and Contemporary Liberation Theologies, Critical Theories and Christian Education, Postmodern Philosophies and Education. He specializes in Freirean Studies.

Publications (the most significant ones – books, articles, etc.):  Multiculturalism as an Opportunity for Encounter and Transformation Paper presented at annual meeting of REA – Religious Education Association, Boston, MA. 

Reinventing the Church in Pos-Modernity: The Project of a Multicultural Church: Learning of a Brazilian in New York. Paper presented at Simpósio de Teologia & Pastoral, in São Paulo, Brazil

The Church as an Educational Place: Paulo Freire in Religious Education. Paper presented at Simpósio de Teologia & Pastoral, in São Paulo, Brazil.

The Forgetfulness of Being: Beyond Inclusiveness in the Presbyterian Church (USA) Paper presented at Presbyterian Welcome's annual meeting. New York.

Paulo Freire's Critical Pedagogy: Critical Thinking as Passion for Possibilities Paper presented at annual meeting of APRRE - Association of Professors and Researchers of Religious Education, Orlando - Florida.

Office: Classroom Bldg. 205
       Phone: (404) 614-6361
       E-mail: rbraga@itc.edu
 

Dr. Michael I.N. Dash

Professor, Ministry and Context, Area IV
-Dip. Theology, University of London
-S.T.M., Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, IN
-D.Min. Boston University School of Theology

Dr. Michael Dash teaches “Ministry and Context I and II” and has an interest in congregational studies.  He served as co-director of the ITC Faith Factor Project 2000 Study of Black Churches, which had as its focus African American-congregational life and was published in The Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center. His other research interests are spirituality and spiritual formation.  Dr. Dash’s publications include Hidden Wholeness:  An African American Spirituality for Individuals and Communities, co-authored with the late Jonathan Jackson and Stephen C. Rasor; The Shape of Zion: Leadership and Life in Black Churches,” a collaborative effort with Christine D. Chapman; and The Mark of Zion: Congregational Life in Black Churches with co-author Stephen C. Rasor; “The Evaluation Process and the Members Voice Project: Perspectives and Commentary”; and “Learning from the First Years: Noteworthy Conclusions from the Parish Experience of Recent Graduate of ATS Schools.”

Office: Classroom Bldg. L-123
Phone: (404) 527-7762
E-mail: mdash@itc.edu
 

Dr. Riggins R. Earl Jr.  

Professor, Ethics and Theology, Area II
-B.A., American Baptist College
-M.Div., Vanderbilt University Divinity School
-Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Dr. Riggins R. Earl’s primary research is in the area of the history and the religious moral life of Black Americans. He teaches courses in ethics; the moral dimensions of the Civil Rights Movement; the church, ethics, and public policy; and Black film as a genre of theological reflection. His significant publications include Dark Symbols, Obscure Signs: God, Self and Community in the Slave Mind; Dark Salutations: Ritual, God, and Greetings in the African American Community; The Jesus as Lord and Savoir Problem: Blacks’ Double Consciousness Self-Worth Dilemma (forthcoming); and current research on the book-length manuscript: Blacks, the Bible, and the Constitution.

Office: Classroom Bldg. 308
Phone: (404) 527-7728
E-mail: rearl@itc.edu
 

Dr. Mark Ellingsen

        Professor, Church History, Area II
       -B.A., Gettysburg College
       -M.Div., Yale Divinity School
       -M.A., Yale University
       -M.Phil., Yale University
       -Ph.D., Yale University

       Dr. Mark Ellingsen teaches the core courses, “Church History I 
       and II,” as well as courses on “Augustine,” “Martin Luther King
       Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement,” and “Reformed Theology.” He
       has special interest in the pre-modern era (especially Augustine)       Wesley, religion-science dialogue (including ecology and
       spirituality) as well as theological hermeneutics. His publications
       include fourteen books and over three hundred articles. Some of
       his most recent publications are Reclaiming Our Roots, Vols. 1 and
       2; The Richness of Augustine: His Contextual and Pastoral
       Theology; The Integrity of Biblical Narrative: Story in Theology
       and Proclamation; Jesus’ Vision of a Fun, Free Life, Not Driven By
       Purpose; and When Did Jesus Become a Republican? Rescuing Our
       Country and Our Values from the Right: Strategies for a Post-Bush
       America.

      Office: Costen Bldg. 208
      Phone: (404) 614-6325 / (770) 732-1329 - Home
      Email: markellingsen@aol.com
 

Dr. Maisha Handy

Associate Professor Christian Education, Area IV
-B.S., Lincoln University
-M.Div., Emory University
-Ph.D., Emory University

Dr. Maisha Haney was a Womanist Scholar through the office of Black Women and Society in 2005-2006. She has a special interest in the research of religious education and hip-hop culture, as well as Womanist approaches to religious education. Some of her most significant writings include “Getting Real” in Keeping It Real: Working with Today’s Black Youth; “Fighting the Matrix: Toward a Womanist Pedagogy for the Black Church,” The Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center; and “Christian Education and Hip-Hop Culture” in Black Church Studies: An Interdisciplinary Anthology (forthcoming).

Office: Costen Bldg. 306
Phone: (404) 614-6345
E-mail: mhandy@itc.edu
 

Dr. Marsha Snulligan-Haney

Professor, Missiology and Religions of the World, Area III
-B.A., Johnson C. Smith University
-M.R.E., Interdenominational Theological Center
-M.Div., Interdenominational Theological Center
-Th.M., Fuller Theological Seminary
-Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

Dr. Marsha Snulligan-Haney has taught, preached, lectured, and engaged in theological research and lead mission group tours in more than thirty countries. She has an interest in mission studies, ecumenism, and world Christianity as well as Islam and Christian-Muslim relations. Of her multiple publications, the most significant are  Evangelism among African American Presbyterians: Making Plain the Sacred Story;  Africentric Approaches to Christian Ministry: Strengthening Urban Congregations in African American Communities;  Islam and Protestant African-American Churches: Responses and Challenges to Religious Pluralism; “The Changing Nature of Christianity and the Challenge of U.S.-Africa Mission Partnerships” in Freedom’s Distant Shores: American Protestants and Post-colonial Alliances with Africa; and the editorial consultant for the theme issue of The Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center: Health, Wholeness and Spirituality of the Pastor, writing the introductory article, “Introducing the Theme: Health, Wholeness and Spirituality of Pastors.”

Office: Main Classroom Bldg. 300
Phone: (404) 614-6323
E-mail: mshaney@itc.edu
 

Dr. Jamal-Dominique Hopkins

Assistant Professor for New Testament, Area I
       -Editor, Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center
       -B.A., Howard University
       -Master of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary
       -Ph.D., University of Manchester (England)

Dr. Hopkins previously an Assistant Professor of Bible and Theology at Crichton College in Memphis, Tennessee.  He is a consultant for Church Growth and Development, and the founder of J. D. Institute (www.jdinstitute.org), a public intellectual institute which engages in social and cultural thought from a biblical perspective. He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Society for Pentecostal Studies, the COGIC Scholars Fellowship of the Obsidian’s Society, and is a board member of the National Black Evangelical Association (NBEA).

Much of Dr. Hopkins’ research has lead to scholarly presentations throughout the United States and in such countries as Italy, England, Slovenia, Austria and Scotland. His article entitled “Dead Sea Scrolls: Jerusalem Priesthood in the Scrolls,” appears in the Encyclopedia for the Historical Jesus (Routledge Press). Other publications include, “The Authoritative Status of Jubilees at Qumran,” in Henoch: Journal of Second Temple Judaism (2009/1) and “Duty or Responsibility? The African-American Evangelical Identity,” in the Journal of African American Christian Thought (2008/1).

Dr. Hopkins is an ordained Elder of the Church of God in Christ and an active member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the C.O.G.I.C. Scholars Fellowship, and the Obsidian Society. He is Director of J. D. Institute (www.jdinstitute.org) as well as serves on the board of the National Black Evangelical Association (NBEA) and on the editorial board of the Journal of African American Christian Thought.

Office: Classroom Bldg. 306
       Phone: (404) 527-7746
       E-mail: jhopkins@itc.edu
 

Dr. Mark Lomax

Interim Dean of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary/Assistant Professor, Area IV
-B.A., Heidelberg College
-M.Div., Trinity Lutheran Seminary
-D.Min. United Theological Seminary

Dr. Mark Lomax, who now serves as the interim dean of the Johnson C. Smith Seminary, has a special interest in homiletics, African traditional religions, and African-American religious history. His significant publications are “Theology of Marcus Garvey”; “The Historical Meaning and Manifestation of Liberation and the Vision for the Future”; “Spirituality and Leadership in the Afrikan Church in North America: A Reflection, The Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center;  and Jesus for the Hip-Hop Generation.

Office: Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary
Phone: (404) 527-7782
E-mail: mlomax@itc.edu
 

Dr. Temba L. J. Mafico

Associate Vice President for Academic Services/Associate Provost
-Professor, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
-B.A., University of London
-M.Div., Harvard University
-Ph.D., Harvard University

Dr. Mafico’s main research focus is on biblical myth.  He looks at African and ancient Near Eastern myth and examines its possible impact on the thought of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). His interest in word study has led to his major publication: Yahweh’s Emergence As “Judge” among the Gods: A Study of the Hebrew Root SPT.  He has also published a chapter commentary on “Judges” in the International Bible Commentary; “Judge/Judging,” “Just /Justice,” and “Ethics of the Old Testament” in the Anchor Bible Dictionary; “The Divine Name Yahweh Elohim and Israel’s Polytheistic Monotheism,” Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages; “God’s Call and the Requisite Preparation for Performing Various Ministries,” The Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center; and “Patriarchs” in The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (forthcoming).  Dr. Temba Mafico is also pastor of the Village of Hope Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Office: Classroom Bldg. 110
Phone: (404) 527-7751
E-mail: tmafico@itc.edu/tmafico@bellsouth.net
 

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