BECOMING AT THE INTERSECTION OF

TEXT, SOUL, & CULTURE

Dr. Dwight J. Friesen [he/they] has served on the core faculty of The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology since 2004 and currently serves as Professor of Practical Theology. It is a joy to teach alongside colleagues and students who are committed to discovering more faithful, just, and shalomic ways of living in the world.

At the heart of Dwight’s teaching is a simple conviction: education is not primarily about transferring information but cultivating the capacity to encounter reality more deeply. Learning requires both courage and humility—the willingness to hold even our most cherished assumptions with open hands so that what is real can surprise, deepen, and transform us.

This posture extends to theology itself. Faith begins with the confession that “G-d is.” Yet every description we offer of G-d remains just that—a description. Dwight seeks to hold his understanding open enough that the living G-d can continually challenge, enlarge, and renew it. For him, theology is not the defense of certainty but the lifelong practice of faithful discovery.

That is why teaching is less about delivering answers than creating spaces where people learn to ask better questions, listen more deeply, and discern more wisely. In the Hebraic imagination, to know is not merely to possess information but to enter into relationship. Knowledge is not something we own; it is our ongoing attempt to describe our encounter with what is real. Dwight therefore understands his role less as an expert dispensing knowledge than as a companion and guide in the shared work of learning.

This vision resonates deeply with The Seattle School’s integrative commitment to bringing text, soul, and culture into living conversation. Transformative learning happens within diverse communities marked by curiosity, generosity, critical reflection, and mutual hospitality. Teaching becomes an act of faithful presence—a shared practice of attending to ourselves, one another, our communities, and the Spirit’s ongoing work in the world.

Whether teaching in a classroom, online, with a leadership team, or in a local congregation, Dwight’s calling remains the same: to cultivate learning environments where people become more attentive to what is real, more deeply connected with one another, and more capable of participating in G-d’s reconciling work.

In addition to his work at The Seattle School, Dwight enjoys guest lecturing, adjunct teaching, serving on doctoral dissertation committees, and partnering with churches, nonprofits, and leadership teams seeking to cultivate transformative learning and faithful presence. If your community is interested in learning together, they’d be delighted to continue the conversation.

Graduate School Courses in Dwight’s Teaching Rotation

  • Intersections 2: Biblical Traditions & Theological Formations
  • Intersections 3: Textual Integrations
  • Gathering & Becoming: Convening Communities of Faith & Practice
  • Listening & Leading: Spiritual Leadership within Communities of Faith & Practice
  • The Triune God & Creation (Eco-Theology)
  • Critical Reading Lab
  • Contextual Learning Lab
  • Mission & Faithful Presence

Former Courses & Programs

  • Leadership in the New Parish Certificate
  • Toward a Spirituality of Contextual Listening Amidst COVID-19
  • Culture, Identity, & Locatedness
  • Spirituality & Sabbath
  • The Kingdom of God & the New Sciences
  • Introduction to the Hermeneutical Task: The Art of Reading Beyond the Page
  • Life Together 1: Ancient-Future Church & Worship
  • Life Together 2: Relational Leadership & Pastoral Ethics
  • MDiv Practicum 2 & 3
  • Mission in a Global Context
  • Theories of Culture
  • Essential Community
  • Crafting Transformational Moments
  • Mission as Faithful Presence
  • Toward a Relational Theology
  • The Body of Christ: Rediscovering the Local Parish as Embodied Witness
  • Thinking Theologically
  • Listening Lab
  • Church
  • Mission in a Postmodern World
  • Theology of Spiritual Formation
  • Integrative Project: Exploring the Future
  • Selected Readings

If you would like to learn more about studying at The Seattle School or about some of the many conferences and workshops they provide visit www.TheSeattleSchool.edu.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

THE SEATTLE SCHOOL

OF THEOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY

×