Providence, R.I.--Sister Dianne Bergant, C.S.A., a professor of biblical studies at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago, has been named the 2009-10 Rev. Robert J. Randall Distinguished Professor in Christian Culture at Providence College.

Sister Bergant, who is the sixth scholar to be appointed Randall Chair, will offer two lectures--one focusing on women in the church and the second on the relationship between the Bible and ecology--during the academic year.

In addition, she is teaching a course on Biblical Methods during the fall semester. In the spring, she will lead a course that investigates the relationship between the Bible and contemporary issues such as eco-justice, gender, class, and economics.

Sister Bergant will present her first public lecture,"A Woman as a Theologian in the Church Today," will be held on Tuesday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m. in Moore Hall I.

"It is an honor to have been chosen Randall Professor. I anticipate that teaching at a college will be different from teaching in a school of theology or seminary, where I have been for some time," she said. "Students like those at Providence College have a different life project. That is not to say that they are not interested in matters of faith.

"They are probably concerned about how faith impacts the way they live and the issues related to the life work that they have chosen. This means that they will be more interested in the practical aspects of theology."

Notable professional and literary achievements
Sister Bergant has been at CTU for 31 years, where she has taught courses on theological reflection for ministry and a variety of Old Testament courses.

She served as president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America in 2000-01 and has been a member of the Chicago Catholic/Jewish Scholars Dialogue for the past 20 years.

For more than 15 years, she was the Old Testament book reviewer of The Bible Today, where she also was a member of the editorial board for 25 years--five of those as the magazine's general editor.

She is currently on the editorial board of Biblical Theology Bulletin and Chicago Studies. From 2002 through 2005, Sister Bergant wrote the weekly column, "The Word," for America magazine.

Sister Bergant is the author of A Word for Every Season (Paulist Press, 2008), People of the Covenant: An Invitation to the Old Testament (Sheed and Ward, 2001), and Song of Songs: The Love Poetry of Scripture (New City Press, 1998).

Her academic and literary focuses are in the areas of biblical interpretation and biblical theology, particularly issues of peace, ecology, and feminism.

She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Marian College and her master's degree and doctorate in biblical languages and literature from St. Louis University.

The Rev. Robert J. Randall Distinguished Professor in Christian Culture is named for the scholar, priest, artist, and longtime PC faculty member. Father Randall taught in the Department of English, the Development of Western Civilization Program, and the Liberal Arts Honors Program.

The professorship enables internationally renowned scholars and teachers, whose work focuses on an understanding of culture that embodies a Christian view of human achievement, to teach, direct student research, and give public lectures at the College.

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