Alex Vishio

Rev. Alex Vishio was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Upon receiving his B.A. in Religion from Swarthmore College, he entered the Divinity School at the University of Chicago, earning his M.Div. He returned to Baltimore to teach high school classics and to serve as an adjunct instructor in religious studies at Villa Julie College (now Stevenson University). He eventually returned to the Divinity School to pursue graduate work in ethics. There, he assisted in teaching courses in ethics, metaphysics, ministry, and religious studies. In addition, he served as an adjunct religion instructor at Chicago Theological Seminary. He returned to Baltimore to teach classics and minister as chaplain at the Gilman School, as well as to adjunct in the classics department at Loyola University. Most recently, he served as Assistant Minister for Social Justice & Witness and Acting Associate Conference Minister of the Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ. 

 

Alex’s academic areas of interest include Christian theology, ethics, New Testament studies, and philosophy of religion. He specializes in neoclassical metaphysics as well as post-liberal revisionary and liberation theology. He currently serves as co-editor of The Notebooks of Schubert Ogden, an online project hosted by Drew University.

 

Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Theodore Walker, Jr.

 

Publications:

 

"Does God Really Want Us to Suffer Unrelenting Pain?" Religion News Service (May 4, 2016).

 

"A Promising Alternative to the War on Drugs: Delegate Morhaim’s Harm-Reduction Proposals," Clergy for a New Drug Policy (November 22, 2016) http://newdrugpolicy.org/2016/11/prophetic-voice-maryland/.

 

Book Review: John M. Rist's Real Ethics: Rethinking the Foundations of Morality (Cambridge University Press, 2002) for The Journal of Religion, Vol. 85, No. 2 (April 2005).

 

Book Review: Elna Moulton's Reading a New Testament Document Ethically (Society of Biblical Literature, 2002) for The Journal of Religion, Vol. 84, No. 2 (April 2004).

 

Book Note: Hans-Georg Gadamer's Literature and Philosophy in Dialogue: Essays in German Literary Theory (translated, with an introduction, by Robert H. Paslick; SUNY Press, 1994) for Religious Studies Review, Vol. 23, No. 2 (April 1997).

 

Book Note: Paul Ricoeur and Narrative: Context and Contestation (edited, with an introduction, by Morny Joy; University of Calgary Press, 1997) for Religious Studies Review, Vol. 24, No. 2 (April 1998).

 

Presentations:

 

Response to Chance Juliano’s "Marginalized Persons as Epistemic Authorities on Perceiving Systemic Injustices." Southern Methodist University GPRS Student Colloquy (February 27, 2019).

 

"A Comment on The Notebook Project: The Theological Legacy of Schubert M. Ogden." Westar Institute God Seminar, Session One (November 16, 2018).

 

"A Theological Look at the Quest for the Historical Jesus." Hyde Park Union Church (Chicago, IL) (March 16, 2005).

 

"Moral Teleology and the Practice of Human Rights.: University of Chicago Divinity School Students' Ethics Conference (April 16, 1999).

 

"The Woodlawn Park Development Corporation: A Case Study in the Public Church." University of Chicago Divinity School Senior Ministry Project Public Presentation (May 27, 1994).

 

Fellowships and Awards:

 

2021-2022 The Schubert M. Ogden Fellowship for Academic Excellence in Theology 

 

2020-2021 Charles L. and Sandra C. Lloyd Religious Studies Graduate Fellowship 

 

2020 SMU's Texas Alpha-Omega Chapter of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society

 

2020 Golden Key International Honour Society

 

2020 SMU's Graduate Program in Religious Studies' Outstanding Core Paper – "Religion as Answer to the Comprehensive Existential Question: Some Implications for Religious Studies"

 

2020-2023 Make A Difference! Doctoral Studies Award