Sally Holt

Biography

When I was a college student, I decided that I could never learn enough about religion, but it wasn’t until I was in graduate school that I discovered my passion for the vocation of teaching. Teaching allows me to share information with students that I think is extremely significant to the building of a meaningful life, and it provides me with a context where I can be a life-long learner. I think learning about religion is a crucial piece of a liberal arts education. Most people in the world are religious, and as our own religious landscape becomes more pluralistic here in the United States, knowing about religion becomes more and more of a necessity for individuals interested in dialogue and understanding.

For me, having a place in academia is the ideal situation, and being a part of the College of Theology and Christian Ministry at Belmont is a privilege. I am grateful for my place here among colleagues who teach me and support me every day and among students who challenge me with their energy and ideas. Serving in the College of Theology and Christian Ministry provides me with an opportunity to be with wonderful people and to share ideas about a discipline I love.

My academic training is in religion and ethics and I find myself very interested in philosophical and theological ethics and related issues of justice. I also trained in the area of sociology of religion, and I believe this work has sparked my current interest in interreligious dialogue and world religions. In addition, I continue to research and work on issues of sustainability and to research and travel in Spain. Some of my past projects have included research into women’s groups and their involvement in religious systems and research exploring cross-cultural perceptions of violence.

Publications

• Why We Kill-co-editor and contributing author
• Feasting on the Gospels-contributing author
• Convivencia: Abrahamic Religions and Study Abroad in Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad-co-author with Dr. Mitchell McCoy
• Connections Lectionary-contributing author