Core Faculty

Najib Awad nawad@hartsem.edu (860) 987-8048
Associate Professor of Christian Theology
Director, International Ph.D. Program
Areas of Study
Systematic Theology
Doctrine of the Trinity
Theology of Religions
Contextual Theology
Arabic Christianity and Christian-Muslim Relations.
Oriental/Arab Christianity

David D. Grafton dgrafton@hartsem.edu (860) 509-9538
Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations
Areas of Study
Christian-Muslim relationships
History of Christianity in the Middle East
American Christian perspectives on religion and society in the Middle East
19th and 20th Protestant missionary thought on Islam

Deena Grant dgrant@hartsem.edu
Associate Professor of Jewish Studies
Areas of Study
Hebrew Bible
Israelite Religion
Anthropomorphism
Jewish Interpretive Traditions

Seyfeddin Kara skara@hartsem.edu
Assistant Professor of Shi’i Studies and Relations between Islamic Schools of Thought
Areas of Study
Shiʿi studies
Quranic studies
Hadith studies
Sunni-Shiʿi relations
Early history of Islam
Islamic legal theory
Islam and politics
Islam and human rights
Islamophobia studies

Shanell T. Smith ssmith@hartsem.edu (860) 509-9575
Assistant Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins
Director, Cooperative Master of Divinity Program
Areas of Study
Feminist and Womanist Biblical Interpretation
Gender and Sexuality in the New Testament
Intersections of Postcolonial, African American, and New Testament Studies
Revelation

Scott Thumma sthumma@hartsem.edu (860) 509-9537
Professor of Sociology of Religion
Director, D.Min. Program
Director, Hartford Institute for Religion Research
Areas of Study
Megachurch characteristics and dynamics
The increase in nondenominational churches
The impact of the Internet on congregational dynamics
Congregational studies of healthy growth and member engagement
Congregational/Denominational trends of Religion in America

Timur Yuskaev yuskaev@hartsem.edu (860) 509-9554
Associate Professor of Contemporary Islam
Holder of the Islamic Chaplaincy Faculty Chair
Director, Imam and Muslim Community Leadership Program
Co-Director, Islamic Chaplaincy Program
Co-Editor of The Muslim World journal
Areas of Study
Contemporary Islam
American Muslim Communities
Qur’anic Studies

Faculty Associates

Bilal W. Ansari bansari@hartsem.edu
Faculty Associate in Muslim Pastoral Theology
Co-Director, Islamic Chaplaincy Program
Areas of Study
Arts of Ministry
Contemporary Islamic Ethics
Institutional Leadership
Islamic Law
Muslim Pastoral Theology
Spirituality

Mahmoud Ayoub mayoub@hartsem.edu (860) 509-9537
Faculty Associate in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations
Areas of Study
Shi’ite Islam
Comparative religions
Interfaith dialogue
Christian-Muslim relations

Brian Clark bclark@hartsem.edu
Faculty Associate in World Christianity
Director of Online Learning
Areas of Study
Modern World Christianity
History of Mission
Transatlantic Methodism
Early Evangelicalism
Women in Popular Protestantism
The Design of Instruction
Instruction of Adult Learners

Adair Lummis alummis@hartsem.edu (860) 509-9547
Faculty Associate in Research
Areas of Study
Clergy concerns
Gender, spirituality and leadership in faith communities
Denominational policies

Lucinda Mosher lmosher@hartsem.edu (646) 335 2951
Faculty Associate in Interfaith Studies
Director, Multifaith Chaplaincy Program
Areas of Study
America’s Religious Diversity
Theology: Christian and Comparative
Christian-Muslim Relations
Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations

Michael Piazza mpiazza@hartsem.edu
Faculty Associate in Congregational Renewal
Areas of Study
Congregational Renewal
Preaching and Worship
Stewardship and Development
Leadership Development
Turn around congregations
Social Justice and Activism
LGBTQ Studies

 Donna Schaper donnaschaper@judson.org
Faculty Associate in Religious Leadership

Areas of Study
Leadership Development
Turn around congregations
Start-up Congregations
New Church Starts
Fund and Energy Raising
Pastoral Theology
Public Ministry
Parish Ministry Administration

Benjamin Watts bwatts@hartsem.edu (860) 509-9514

Faculty Associate in Religion and Community Life
Director of the Black Ministries Program

Areas of Study
Arts of Ministry
Homiletics
Spirituality

Miriam Therese Winter mtwinter@hartsem.edu (860) 509-9558

Faculty Associate in Transformative Leadership and Spirituality
Director, Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Spirituality
Director of the Women’s Leadership Institute

Areas of Study
Liturgy
Worship
Spirituality
Feminist Studies