Andy Watts

Andy Watts is a Professor of Religion and serves as the Academic Coordinator for the STCM. Andy earned his PhD from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, writing on a theology of reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans. He is committed to restorative and transformative justice methods learned from beloved mentors over the years. Since 2009 he has worked to reduce violence inside prison units through conflict mediation training. He has served on the Board of the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative and taught college courses at various prisons in Tennessee. He is vocal in social justice commitments for Native rights and has led study away programs to Lakota, Crow, Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho lands and reservations. His book chapter on how dominant culture groups must avoid reproducing and reinforcing white supremacy through Service-Learning on reservations emerged from those commitments. In Chicago, North Carolina, Wyoming, and Nashville, he has learned about the consistent and enduring work of dismantling institutions of violence. Andy has published dozens of popular articles for Good Faith Media and regularly contributed to the Huffington Post. He possesses a ThM from Duke University, an MDiv from Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA, and a BA in Political Science/BA in Journalism from Baylor University. He was ordained in the Baptist tradition along with his spouse, Rev. Amy Dodson-Watts. They have two sons in college in Chicago.

Selected Publications:

“Challenged by Respect: Rethinking Service Learning on Native American Reservations,"

 “Commentary on the Gospel of John”, Feasting on the Gospels (Westminster John 

Knox Press, 2015)

 

Huffington Post, www.huffpost.com/author/andy-watts-948

Good Faith Media, goodfaithmedia.org/author/andy-watts