Stephen G. Ray, Jr., ‘93 M.Div., ‘00 Ph.D.

2018Distinction in Theological Education

One of the finest traditions of YDS is its commitment to excellence in all dimensions of theological education. This award recognizes alumni whose scholarship, teaching or leadership and contributions to vocational formation for ministry reflect the best traditions of YDS and its distinguished faculty.

Stephen G. Ray became the 13th president of Chicago Theological Seminary in February 2018. Prior to being called to lead CTS, Ray served as the Neal F. and Ila A. Fisher Professor of Systematic Theology at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Well known for his articles on Christology, race, and the Black experience, Ray is author of Do No Harm: Social Sin and Christian Responsibility, a contributor to Constructive Theology: A Contemporary Approach to Classical Themes, and co-author of Black Church Studies: An Introduction. He is president of the Society for the Study of Black Religion; past co-chair of the Workgroup on Constructive Theology; and a former member of the executive committee of the Black Religious Scholars Group. Ray serves on the review boards of Conversations in Religion and Theology and Westminster/John Knox Press and is member of the American Academy of Religion. An ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, Ray has received numerous awards, including Yale Divinity School’s Hooker Fellowship for Excellence in Theological Studies and Yale University’s University Fellowship, in addition to his being named to Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King, Jr. International Collegium of Scholars in 2008.