Robert Minor, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas, joined the Board of AMSA this year. He’s presented papers at the annual conference for a number of years. He’s also leads workshops around the country on gender issues, homophobia, and active change. What he’s learned is that people are hungry for tips on how to be an activist, a parent, and an effective advocate in a busy world of sound bites and overwhelming information. In response, he has so far produced four colorful 8-page pamphlets called the “Fairness Project Series.” Meant to provide new and insightful perspectives in areas of liberation work where we often become stuck, these durable, eight page pamphlets are quick guides to healthy activism.

The Pamphlets are “When You’re Having a Religious Argument,” “Burnout, Blowout and Breaking Up: Navigating the Hazards of Activist Leadership,” “Case Closed! Responding to Psychological Arguments against Gay People,” and “Help, I’m a Parent! Fully Human Parents Raising Fully Human Children.” They are available at his workshops and on-line through his website: www.fairnessproject.org.

 To contact Robert: minor@ku.edu.

Merle Longwood and Mark Muesse, who teach religious studies at Siena College and Rhodes College respectively, have been involved for several years as consultants to the Men’s Spirituality Groups Project at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. This project, begun through the efforts of Gar Kellom, Vice President for Student Development and a number of the monks in the Abbey at Saint John’s, provides students in that men’s college, which has a jointly administered academic program with a women’s college, the College of Saint Benedict, an opportunity to explore the many dimensions of their own spiritual lives within the context of covenanted groups of men in their own college class that meet on a regular basis (often bi-weekly) throughout their four years in college. Each group is comprised of six to ten students and two non-student facilitators, most of whom are monks who also serve as faculty residents in the dorms. The program, which has no precedent in any other institution of higher education, receives part of its support from a grant by the Lilly Endowment to the University. Merle and Mark make an annual visit to Saint John’s, at which time they meet with the students, the facilitators, and administrators related to the program, and provide feedback to and evaluation of the program as well as advice for its continuing development and improvement. Approximately 15 percent of St. John’s students are involved in these groups, and many believe that the impact of these groups extends far beyond its participants to affect the culture of the whole student body.

 Merle is also working with Bill Schipper, a Benedictine monk, in the development of his doctoral program at Union Institute and University.

 To contact Merle, Mark, Gar, or Bill: longwood@siena.edu, muesse@rhodes.edu, gkellom@csbsju.edu, wschipper@csbsju.edu.

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Former AMSA President, Steve Boyd has been very active since relinquishing his president’s gavel. I’m amazed how Steve found time to serve AMSA so well during his presidential tenure after looking at just a few of his recent activities and accomplishments.

Steve has been appointed Chair of the Religion Department (Wake Forest University) for 2004-2008 as well as his appointment as the John Allen Easley Professor of Religion was made permanent this year.

Steve has also found time to produce some important recent publications, including: “Men’s Theology” in the New Handbook of Christian Theology (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003), “God” in the Encyclopedia of Men’s Studies (Westport, CT: Preager, forthcoming), “‘A Man Was Going Down from Jerusalem’: The Psychosocial Roots of Sin and the Possibilities for Healing,” in Philip Culbertson, ed., The Spirituality of Men: Sixteen Christians Write about Their Faith (Augsburg/Fortress, 2002), and “Marpeck, Pilgram” in the Encyclopedia of Protestantism (NY: Rout ledge, forthcoming).

Steve has also been busy in his community (Winston-Salem, NC). Steve is a founding member of CHANGE, a broad-based organizing effort of 35 congregations, synagogues, mosques, and neighborhood associations for the purpose of addressing school equity, jobs and economic development, transforming local government. Further, Steve led an Alternative, Service-Learning Spring Break trip to the San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona. Steve is here pictured with some of his colleagues who were also involved in his Spring Break trip.

 To contact Steve: boyd@wfu.edu.

J. Michael Cruz, Department of Sociology, University of Southern Maine, has just published his study of aging gay men.

Published by Haworth Press, Cruz’s Sociological Analysis of Aging: The Gay Male Perspective (ISBN: 1-56023-454-7) “fills in the gaps in the existing social science literature on homosexuals and aging, updating findings that were inconclusive when first published and/or based on case studies or limited samples. While standard books on aging typically deal with the impact of life events such as child rearing, the empty nest syndrome, and grand parenting, Sociological Analysis of Aging deals with the unique realities that gay men face in addition to the universal concerns of the elderly: affordable health care, affordable housing, and adequate coverage for medication costs. The study examines what can be done to assist “successful” aging for sexual minorities, particularly in the area of social policy, service delivery, and public tolerance” (text taken from Haworth announcement).

 To contact Michael: jmcruz@usm.maine.edu.