Visits by Pope Francis around the Globe

(Jayarathina, Svenskbygderna, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)

President and Marita Grudzen and their daughter Corita, a physician working in cancer treatment at NYC Sloan Kettering Hospital, participated in a community kitchen project on Holy Saturday. Trinity Episcopal Church in Ossining, NY, provides the kitchen and dining hall, and other churches provide volunteers to cook the food, serve it, and clean up after the meal each Saturday evening. Young and older members of the community come together each Saturday to share a meal that begins with a prayer of thanksgiving. The people who came for the supper were all low income and from diverse backgrounds. The sense of community was tangible and joyful. It is an example of how faith groups can join together for service to their community. This is the kind of interfaith unity that GMU hopes to model at local, national, and international levels.

Statement on Solidarity with Harvard

Global Ministries University stands in solidarity with Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, and other institutions of higher learning that are opposing the current administration’s attacks on freedom of speech, academic integrity, and the United States Constitution. GMU upholds the primacy of scientific inquiry and critical thinking with its premier postgraduate program, promoting the compatibility and complementarity of science and religion. As an international online learning platform for theological education, rather than disparaging, GMU is committed to upholding the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its endeavors...

Leaders of American Universities Issue A Call for Constructive Engagement.

"Accepting women priests means accepting the end of celibacy.” Interview with Marie Mandy, New Documentary about Roman Catholic Women Priests

Interview with Christina Moreira, ARCWP



Why can't women be priests?: A look at the forbidden and criminalized vocation

Exegetical Research

Back in the early 1980s I was a reference librarian at the Graduate Theological Union library in Berkeley. Many of our students needed help in their efforts to conduct exegetical research, the critical explanation or interpretation of scripture. In those pre-Internet days, the only available tools for study of the Bible were in book form: New Testament Abstracts, Anchor Bible, JPS Bible Commentary, Eerdman’s Bible Commentary, etc. When I took a position at California State University Library, East Bay in 1990, online resources were becoming available, but few students at the state university were studying scripture. So, I’ve been out of touch. I decided to see what’s available online that might be useful for GMU students, especially those living at a distance from an academic library. 

Here are a few scholarly sources that are freely available for study of the Bible. In coming months I’ll look at online sources for exploration of the Qur’an, the Torah, Buddhist and Hindu scripture. 

BibleHub is a production of the Online Parallel Bible Project. It offers search and study tools including parallel texts, Greek/Hebrew interlinear, word studies, cross references, and commentaries, and more. https://biblehub.com

STEP Bible (Scripture Tools for Every Person), produced by Tyndale House, supports in-depth Bible study with Hebrew/Greek interlinear texts, lexicons, and cross-references. Topics include Harmony of the Gospels, Miracles in the Bible, Old Testament parallels, Prophets, Places, and more.

https://www.stepbible.org

Early Christian Writings is a collection of English translations of texts dating from 30 to 380 CE (e.g., Apostolic Fathers, apocrypha, gnostic texts), with scholarly commentary, and more. Among the hundreds of texts presented: The Gospel of Mary, Apocalypse of Paul, Dionisius of Alexandra, Sophia of Jesus Christ.

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com

SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT) is a scholarly Greek NT text available for free download produced by the Society of Biblical Literature in keeping with its mission to foster biblical scholarship. (Yes, it really is in Greek!)

https://sblgnt.com

Bible Odyssey, from the Society of Biblical Liturature, contains scholarly articles on key people, places and themes in the Bible. A few of the many articles I spotted that look fascinating: “Climate Change and the End of the World: Beliefs and Practices, History of Interpretation,” “The Bible and Native Americans in Early North America,” “Doctors in the Ancient Near East.”

https://bibleodyssey.org

Questions? Comments? Need help with research? Contact me:

Judy Clarence, M.L.I.S., GMU Librarian

librarian@globalministriesuniversity.org

GMU Librarian Judy Clarence has launched a new Substack page for her poetry titled "Running Out of Colors: A Sequel."

The GMU Board of Directors' meeting took place on Friday, April 11, 2025, at via Zoom. Topics included:

• international conferences in India and Nigeria during February
• a financial report including recent major donations to GMU
• a report on student enrollments since our last board meeting
• GMU graduates in 2025
• the GMU partnership with the Institute of Science and Religion in Kochi, India, and The Institute for Lay Theology in Kochi, India
• reports on GMU marketing and website activity since our last board meeting
• report on 2025 Fratelli Tutti Conference and the relationship with Tangaza University and the Harmony Institute in Kenya.

Spring into Spirituality!

Spring forward and "let the light shine" in your life and in your soul! Dr. Margie Schneider is offering three courses at a discount. TH580 Creation Spirituality, TH581 Eco-Art & Creation Spirituality, and TH517 Spiritual Ecology are available individually for $235 per course. You don't want to miss this opportunity to expand your awareness of the Divine in Creation and in You!

A nine-month GMU certificate program is being developed to provide knowledge of contemporary theology and pastoral skills for empowering women leaders in creating faith community-based projects and networks in vulnerable and marginalized populations in the Global South. Students will explore ways to promote gender equality, community well-being, and social change.  Learn more about existing communities here.

Enjoy the last presentation with Fr. Sebastien Nkoa, OP.

GMU partners with the Institute of Science and Religion program in Kerala, India. You can view lectures on their YouTube channel.

Theology for the 21st Century

Discover the compatibility of science, spirituality, and faith. Asian and African applications will soon be made directly on Fr. Augustine Pamplany's website. The applications will then be sent to GMU for follow-up and enrollment. Email Fr. Augustine for information.

GMU seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of those who wish to start Intentional Eucharistic Communities. Together with PCS, GMU is now offering:

Creating Inclusive Eucharistic Communities in an Emerging Synodal Church 

5 sessions  $475 + $25 App Fee

Women in the Bible and Christian Tradition

5 sessions  $475 + $25 App Fee

Credit for these courses can be applied towards a GMU graduate degree or certificate.

The Celebrant Training Program Objectives

We offer two separate programs: Weddings and Other Commitment Ceremonies and Funerals and Other Rites of Passage.  Upon completion of each program, you will be awarded a Certificate of Celebrancy granted by Global Ministries University, with which the Center for Celebrant Training is affiliated.  Global Ministries University is an interfaith and nondenominational online university that offers degrees and certificates completely online.

Rooted in Lived Experience of People

 Creates deep connection with liberating message in Scripture and Christian tradition of mystics and prophets

Fosters partnership in ministry - new paradigm - following Jesus in 21st century

Raises up voices of marginalized 

Expands theological landscape

Cultivates a healing and learning community 

Dismantles patriarchy and

Promotes Gospel equality and inclusiveness.

GMU will partner with the Omeriye Foundation as the focal point in Kenya, and participate as the USA mentor for Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, and Nairobi University in the EARTH FUNDS AI for Climate and Environmental Challenges in September 2025.

Bridging Faith and Future: A Visionary AI-Education Transformation in Nigeria

President Grudzen is working with religious, educational, and business leaders in Silicon Valley and Nigeria to develop a model for ethical, inclusive, AI-driven education in Africa. Stay tuned for exciting developments!

We are "eternally" grateful to GMU Board member John Raymaker for his exceedingly generous endowment of $40,000 to ensure GMU's financial stability well into the future.

GMU operates under the corporate umbrella of the Federation of Community Ministries of California (FCM of CA), originally formed on October 30, 1997, when we gained the status of a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. GMU is registered in Santa Clara County, CA, as a DBA of FCM of CA. The two entities have the same Board of Directors.

Help Our Global Family

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info@globalministriesuniversity.org