Theology is the study of God - who God is, how God is active and present in the world, and what that means for who we are as creatures made in God's image. At the University of Dubuque, your studies will take you into the worlds of the Bible, Christian theology and ethics, the arts of Christian leadership, and the practices of a living faith. You will leave ready to build a career in lay church leadership, Christian education, youth ministry, worship ministry, missions, or in the nonprofit sector. The Theology program also prepares you for advanced theological study in a seminary or divinity school and other graduate school programs.
Making a Difference Through the Study of Theology
Students and faculty in the Division of Theology are active in the church, academy, and community. Their work contributes to the church's wisdom and witness. They produce cutting edge Biblical scholarship, author theological reflection on contemporary issues, participate in interfaith conversations, and collaborate with local faith communities seeking to awaken to God's presence and activity in their place
Degree Distinctive
Students must participate in an internship with a church or agency. They can work with their advisor to shape their program to focus on youth ministry, worship leadership, or another area of Christian service and leadership.
Career Opportunities
The Theology major prepares students for advanced theological study in a seminary or divinity school as well as for careers in ministry and the nonprofit sector. Graduates may serve in traditional and non-traditional ministries, lay church leadership, youth ministry, worship ministry, missions (both urban and global), and in other nonprofit organizations. Combined with a second major in another field, Theology prepares students for Christian leadership in business, arts, education, and a variety of fields.
Theology Faculty/Staff
Emily BluePastor to Seminary Students
Phone: 563.589.3630 Email: EBlue@dbq.edu Department: Theology Office: 205 Van Vliet Hall
Credentials / Bio
- MDiv, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
- BA, Utah State University
Rev. Emily Taylor Blue is an ordained minister, educator, and passionate advocate for faith formation, community building, and inclusive leadership. She currently serves as Pastor to Students at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, where she also teaches in both the seminary and undergraduate programs. In this role, she supports students spiritually, academically, and pastorally, while helping equip leaders for service in the wider church. In addition to her academic work, Emily has served in parish ministry for over 17 years, currently leading Sherrill United Church of Christ and ten years at the former Sherrill United Methodist Church. Rev. Blue is certified in Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) training, personal empowerment, and Ally training, and she brings these tools into her ministry and teaching to cultivate belonging, resilience, and justice-oriented leadership. She is deeply committed to spiritual formation, restorative justice, and helping people of all ages discover their God-given gifts and purpose. Whether in the pulpit, the classroom, or the theater, her ministry is rooted in compassion, creativity, and a belief that God's love meets us exactly where we are.
Mary Emily DubaAssociate Professor of Theology; Theology Department Chair
Phone: 563.589.3102 Email: MDuba@dbq.edu Department: Theology Office: 206 Van Vliet Hall
Credentials
PhD, University of Chicago Divinity School; MDiv, Yale Divinity School; BA, Seattle University.
Nicholas ElderProfessor of New Testament
Phone: 563.589.3104 Email: NElder@dbq.edu Department: Theology Office: 209 Van Vliet Hall
CREDENTIALS / Bio
- PhD, Marquette University
- MA, Iliff School of Theology
- BA, Colorado College
Dr. Nick Elder studies how Scripture has been experienced across media, from ancient scrolls and codices to apps and film, showing how the medium shapes the message. Before joining the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, he taught at Marquette University, where he earned his PhD. He is the author of The Media Matrix of Early Jewish and Christian Narrative (Bloomsbury, 2019) and Gospel Media: Reading, Writing, and Circulating Jesus Traditions (Eerdmans, 2024), and is currently writing The Bible is Not a Book. His work also appears in journals such as Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Journal for the Study of Judaism, and Journal of Biblical Literature. Outside the office and classroom, he is usually running, restoring his preposterously old house, or wrangling his four kids and oafish dog.
Susan ForsheyAssociate Professor of Christian Discipleship; Director of Master of Arts in Ministry
Phone: 563.589.3353 Email: SForshey@dbq.edu Department: Theology Office: 318 Van Vliet Hall
Credentials
- PhD, Boston University School of Theology
- MDiv, Saint John's University
- BA, Western Washington University
Christopher JamesProfessor of Evangelism and Missional Christianity; Master of Arts in Mission and Discipleship Program Director.
Phone: 563.589.3859 Email: CJames@dbq.edu Department: Theology Office: 210 Van Vliet Hall
Credentials / Bio
- PhD, Boston University School of Theology
- MDiv, Fuller Theological Seminary
- BA, Wheaton College
A practical theologian, missiologist and pastor, Dr. James brings deep insight into the life of the church in today's rapidly changing cultural landscape. Rev. Dr. James is the author of Church Planting in Post-Christian Soil: Theology and Practice (Oxford University Press, 2017), an award-winning exploration of emerging forms of Christian community in North America. He is currently writing Reseeding Church, a call for the church in the West to abandon false hopes rooted in human ingenuity and instead cooperate with the God who is already seeding a new future for the church in the West. Rev. Dr. James leads Missio Cohorts and UDTS's Madison Learning Community, two grant-funded initiatives through which he cultivates diverse communities of missional leaders as they develop local, ecumenical kinship, discernment and collaboration. Through his teaching, writing, and project leadership, Dr. James seeks to equip God's people in the West to faithfully follow the Spirit's lead through our ongoing change of epoch.
Dr. James is husband to Lindsay, dad to two kids, and human to a miniature Bernedoodle named Theophilus Monk.
Beth McCawDean of the Seminary and Vice President of the University
Phone: 563.589.3390 Email: BMcCaw@dbq.edu Department: Theology Office: 202 Van Vliet Hall
Credentials
- DMin, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
- MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
- AB, Hope College
Matthew SchlimmProfessor of Old Testament
Phone: 563.589.3101 Email: MSchlimm@dbq.edu Department: Theology Office: 316 Van Vliet Hall
Credentials
- PhD, Duke University
- MDiv, Duke University
- BA, Asbury College
Darren SumnerAssistant Professor of Church History and Historical Theology
Email: DSumner@dbq.edu Department: Theology Office: Van Vliet Hall