Aaron Dorsey, PhD Student, Awarded Forum for Theological Exploration Doctoral Grant
May 25, 2022
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is proud to announce Aaron Dorsey has been selected to receive a 2022 Doctoral Fellowship from the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE). Dorsey’s area of concentration in the seminary’s doctor of philosophy program is in biblical studies.
FTE awarded its 2022 Doctoral Fellowships to 17 students of color to support their PhD or ThD program in religion, theological or biblical studies. Dorsey received the Fellowship for Doctoral Students of African Descent and will be awarded a living stipend to help further his studies beyond the coursework stage.
“This class of Fellows represents a broad range of research by, for, and with BIPOC communities beyond the academy. From biblical studies to ethics, this class reflects a future of theological education that is engaged in transforming academic and societal structures,” said FTE Senior Director of Learning Design Dr. Patrick B. Reyes. “We are proud to support these Fellows and look forward to providing more opportunities and resources within theological education for the next generation to broaden FTE’s and scholars’ impact across the academy.”
Dorsey is studying Hebrew Bible in the doctoral program alongside his academic advisor Dr. Cheryl Anderson, professor of Old Testament. His research focuses are post/decolonial theory, African American biblical interpretation, redaction criticism, affect theory, and trauma. He is developing a dissertation that draws on postcolonial theory to investigate the representation of Israelites after their displacement into Judah and surrounding lands in the late 8th Century BCE. Aaron spends his time outside of academics playing bass and guitar, experimenting with woodworking, and enjoying time with his friends, family, and fiancé, Miranda.
“I am honored to have received this Fellowship and I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement I have received from my professors at Garrett and from my advisor, Dr. Cheryl Anderson,” said Dorsey. “They together have helped me hone my research, to develop as an educator, and to imagine how my academic pursuits can contribute to the flourishing of communities of color.”
As part of the fellowship award, Fellows will have the opportunity to attend FTE’s 2022 Forum for Theological Educators in Denver, CO, prior to the annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature. In addition, Fellows receive access to virtual resources and a mentor to help further their professional development, vocational exploration, and networking opportunities.
Since 1999, FTE has awarded more than 585 fellowships to students of color and has maintained a 98 percent retention rate among its Doctoral Fellows. In addition to its fellowships for dissertation stage doctoral students, FTE provides professional development opportunities for PhD and ThD students in the first two years of their studies. FTE developed these doctoral initiatives to help accelerate the completion of doctoral degrees among students of color and to foster diversity in the academy across North America.
For a full list of FTE’s 2022 Doctoral Fellows, visit fteleaders.org/press.