"In the church I come from—which is not at all the same church to which white Americans belong—we were counseled, from time to time, to do our first works over... Go back to where you started, or as far back as you can, examine all of it, travel your road again and tell the truth about it. Sing or shout or testify or keep it to yourself, but know whence you came.”
- James Baldwin, The Price of the Ticket.
Doing first works over means to reexamine everything from its onset
and tell the truth about it, as best we can.
Responding to James Baldwin’s charge to “do our first works over,” our All School Conference at Yale Divinity School will convene this fall to reexamine how theologians and students can “make our words more adequate to our realities and imaginations of life, death, and God" (Armstrong 9).
Through work inspired by Black Thought, Queerist Belongings, and Atheological Intersections, we entreat the entire YDS community to reflect on the relevant applications of multi-faith practices through the hermeneutics of black queer theology. Our keynote speakers represent various journeys including atheological, Buddhist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Jewish, and Orisa/Lucumi traditions.
The conference will be Friday, November 8th (2pm-6pm) to Saturday, November 9th (9:30am-5:30pm). The Community Life Committee of YDS will sponsor a dance party on Friday night at Gryphon (8pm-11pm). We encourage all YDS students to register by October 31st so that we may plan accordingly.
Our Keynote Speakers will be:
Dr. Amaryah Shaye Armstrong, Assistant Professor of Race in American Religion and Culture, Virginia Tech
Keynote: "Hagar's Children: Anti-blackness and the Reproduction of Christian Order"
Dr. Craig A. Ford, Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at St. Norbert College; YDS Alumnus
Keynote: "Doing Our First Works Over: Sketches of a Black Queer Ethics"
Dr. Renée L. Hill, Columbia University Community Scholar, Columbia University
Keynote: "Which 'Me' Will Survive All These Liberations?"
We have invited dozens of YDS alumni to join this conversation with us and to facilitate our small groups. We anticipate a time of powerful sharing and networking.
All School Conference Committee
Dawn Jefferson
MDiv Candidate, 2021
Conference Coordinator dawn.jefferson@yale.edu
JaQuan Beachem
MDiv Candidate, 2021
Student and Administrative Liaison
Geronimo D. Desumala, III
MDiv Candidate, 2021
Communications & Logistics Coordinator
Dr. Linn Tonstad
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology
Faculty Sponsor
Ryan Joslin-Dirk
MDiv Candidate, 2021
Operations Coordinator
Dr. Jeanne Peloso
Associate Dean of Student Affairs
Conference Advisor
ASC HOST COMMITTEE:
JaQuan Beachem
Katie Campbell-Morrison
Jessica Church
Joseph Cundiff
Geronimo Desumala
Essence Ellis
Stephen Erich
Alicia Fowler
Phoenix Gonzalez
Haven Herrin
Josh Huber
Dawn Jefferson
Ryan Joslin-Dirk
Samuel King
Nathan Leach
Zachary Ludwig
Michael Macalintal
Jathan Martin
Molli Mitchell
Claire Repsholdt
Matthew Roberts
Victoria Slabinski
Jenna Van Donselaar
Jalen Ware-Parks
Jessica Yu
All School Conference Sponsors
We would like to thank the following co-sponsors for their generous contributions: