Douglas F. Ottati, the M.E. Pemberton Professor of Theology and a member of the faculty at Union Theological Seminary-PSCE in Richmond, Va., for nearly 30 years, is going to Davidson College in a newly endowed chair in religion.
Beginning in the fall of 2007, Ottati will occupy the new Craig Family Distinguished Professorship in Reformed Theology and Justice Ministry.
“It was not an easy decision to make, but it’s exciting,” said Ottati. “It comes at a classic time of life when my two children have left the house, and I have an opportunity to do something different. Part of it is as simple as a guy being an auto mechanic for 30 years who gets a chance to work on another machine.”
Ottati added that another incentive was to work within a broader scope of academic disciplines. “Seminaries like Union-PSCE have as a strength their focus on the clerical education of ministers,” he said. “But at the same time that focus is their significant limitation. Seminaries don’t have arts and sciences departments, so it’s more difficult to study in the context of other disciplines. Coming to Davidson gives me a chance to have those conversations.”
