Andover Newton

06/22/2026

" Honestly, I’d rather be called evil than stupid. I don’t believe in an old man in the sky. I believe in an ineffable God, whom artists have depicted in lots of different ways, including as an old man in the sky. Why? Because God’s transcendence causes creative truth-seekers to grasp after metaphors. Those who yearn to know an unknowable God can only come at God asymptotically, imperfectly, and with the help of what’s already known."

Read the latest blog post, "No Old Man in the Sky," from Founding Dean Sarah B. Drummond at https://sbdrummond.medium.com/no-old-man-in-the-sky-c389016f57fd.

06/12/2026

“I remain committed to looking at the world through multiple lenses, even when that’s less comfortable. Doing so doesn’t make me happier, but it brings me satisfaction. The examined life is the right one for me. That said, I occasionally crave the simplicity of generalizations.”

Read the latest blog, "Grossed Out, Hungry for Concreteness, and Forgivably Wrong," from Founding Dean Sarah B. Drummond at https://sbdrummond.medium.com/grossed-out-hungry-for-concreteness-and-forgivably-wrong-293f082291a8

06/10/2026

We continue to remember the remarkable life of Carole Fontaine and share the obituary that was recently published in the Boston Globe and elsewhere. We send our prayers, love, and gratitude to her family and friends and cherish the deep contributions she made to Andover Newton. To read more, please see:

View CAROLE RADER FONTAINE Ph.D.'s obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

06/05/2026

"We need God the most when we go through changes, as our faith is not merely transportable, but it’s the solid ground under our feet. Yet even when our lives might not seem to change, our contexts are in constant churn."

Read the latest blog post, "A Worry Halved," from Founding Dean, Sarah B. Drummond at: https://sbdrummond.medium.com/a-worry-halved-feaed45e2380

05/30/2026

"Most congregations have a more developed story about their past than about their future. But it is a fact that the times have changed … This calls for greater openness and receptivity to new leaders when they arrive with new perspectives."

—Jeffrey Haggray ’88 M.Div. in an open letter to historic congregations and their pastors, one of many great articles in the new issue of Reflections

https://reflections.yale.edu/article/new-heaven-new-earth-imagining-tomorrow-s-church/open-letter-historic-congregations-and

05/29/2026

We are saddened to report that Carole Fontaine, ANTS' Taylor Professor of Biblical Theology and History Emerita, died this afternoon after a long illness. She was a Biblical scholar, activist, artist, and poet who will be missed immensely. While we will provide a proper tribute and celebration of her life and career later, Andover Newton offers condolences, peace, and love to her family and loved ones.

05/29/2026

"The leader must grow into their true selves and encourage others to do the same. Jesus loved his disciples… and followers… and enemies. He wanted them to change, not because of his wants and whims, but because God was drawing them into a higher truth that would set them free. Jesus showed them the way with calm, assertive energy."

Read "Calm, Assertive Energy," the latest blog post from Founding Dean, Sarah B. Drummond, at: https://sbdrummond.medium.com/calm-assertive-energy-56f523525788

05/22/2026

"A couple of generations from now, perhaps, people will forget what knowing ministers are “there” feels like. They will find a sense of spiritual security elsewhere, or not at all. But in the short term, religious leaders are important. Without them, a vague sense of emptiness in a person or community has nowhere to go when the diagnosis is scary, when the young person dies, or when the community has to be convened together and doesn’t know what to do when it gets there."

Read the latest blog from Founding Dean, Sarah B. Drummond, entitled "There When You Need Them?" at:

https://sbdrummond.medium.com/there-when-you-need-them-fb220250e21a

05/19/2026

Here are some wonderful shots, several of which feature a few Andover Newton graduates, from Yale Divinity School's Commencement Celebration. If you look closely towards the end, then you will see the faculty procession led by Professor S. Mark Heim!