About
Gail J. Stearns is The Irvin C. and Edy Chapman Dean of the Wallace All Faiths Chapel, and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Chapman University.
Gail’s CV can be found here: Stearns_Vita_12.11chapman
She is an academic dean, writer, professional interfaith organizer, consultant, and teacher. She is the author of Writing Pauline: Wisdom From a Long Life (Hamilton Books, 2005) and Open Your Eyes: Toward Living More Deeply in the Present (Wipf & Stock, 2011). An ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Gail holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Washington State University, with emphasis in gender theory. She is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and teaching a course on ”Discovering the Self through the Gospel of Mark.”
Dr. Stearns is dedicated to interfaith dialogue and cooperation as a method for seeking peace in today’s world. She is committed to fostering academic conversations between religion and other disciplines, such as politics, science and economics. She seeks to foster interfaith coordination among the university and the surrounding communities toward deeper understanding and reconciliation. Her work and expertise center around faith development in young adults, and how life’s challenges lead to questioning and eventually, to a deeper understanding of vocation and meaning in their lives. Her own practice, teaching, and research center on the spiritual practice of meditation as it is found in many religious traditions. When Gail has free time, she enjoys movies, reading, writing, traveling, canoeing, and biking.
Prior to becoming Dean of the Chapel at Chapman, Gail was Director of The Common Ministry and Interfaith House (formerly the “K-House”) at Washington State University (WSU) for over ten years. She taught in the Honors College and Women’s Studies Departments at WSU, including courses on world religions, spirituality and gender. Following seminary, she was ordained at First Presbyterian Church, Marion, IA, and served as Pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church, Franklin, WI.
