John Tolley

Associate Professor of Ministry and the Arts, Meadville/Lombard Theological Seminary

B.A. U., Indianapolis M.Min,
Ph.D., New York University,

John teaches arts of ministry in religious art and aesthetics. Before coming to Meadville Lombard he served congregations for twenty-two years in Indiana, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Connecticut. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Theatre from New York University and has taught in that discipline at NYU, City University of New York, and Goshen College in Indiana. His portfolio includes over seventy dramatic productions and publications on the topics of religious education, religious art and gay/lesbian issues. John’s partner of twenty years resides with him in Chicago.

“My vision and passion for ministerial preparation focuses on the various learning styles of parishioners our students will serve in congregations and institutions around the world. To be prepared for effective ministry, clergy must be able to use visual, kinesthetic and auditory means of communication to speak in depth and scope to all the people they serve. The growing recognition and implementation of the arts in the curricula of Meadville Lombard is placing our students at the front of this cultural evolution.”