[Episcopal Divinity School press release] Episcopal Divinity School has announced the appointment of The Rev. Michael Battle, Ph.D., as Interim Dean of Students and Community Life for the 2014-15 academic year. Dr. Battle will begin working at EDS on Monday, August 25th, and will reside on the EDS campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Dr. Battle is an accomplished theologian and a respected pastoral leader whose ministry has spanned the globe. A graduate of Duke University (B.A. and Ph.D.), Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Yale University (S.T.M.), he was ordained a priest in South Africa by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1993. His ministry focuses on Christian non-violence, human spirituality, and Black church studies. He is the author of several books, including Reconciliation: The Ubuntu Theology of Desmond Tutu and Blessed are the Peacemakers: A Christian Spirituality of Non-violence.

Dr. Battle is founder of the PeaceBattle Institute and has served as Rector and Canon Theologian in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. Previously, he served as Provost of the Cathedral Center, Vice President, Associate Dean of Academic Studies and Associate Professor of Theology at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia.

He has also served as Chaplain to the Episcopal House of Bishops, as a member of the Theology Committee of the Episcopal Church, as Spiritual Director of CREDO, Wellness Conference of the Episcopal Church, and on several boards, including EDS alumna Mpho Tutu’s Institute for Prayer and Pilgrimage.

Most recently, Dr. Battle served as Vicar of St. Titus Episcopal Church in Durham, North Carolina. His website is michaelbattle.com.

About Episcopal Divinity School

Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) is a progressive center for study and spiritual formation for lay and ordained leaders. Committed to a mission of social justice and inclusive education and grounded in the Anglican tradition, EDS awards Masters degrees in Divinity and Theological Studies, Doctoral degrees in Ministry, and Certificates in Anglican Formation; Justice, Reconciliation, and Mission; and Christian Spiritualities for the Contemporary World.

EDS is a member of the Boston Theological Institute, a consortium of 10 eminent theological schools, seminaries, and departments of religion in the Boston area.

A seminary for the Episcopal Church, Episcopal Divinity School is grounded in the Anglican tradition and committed to growing in relationship with other Christian and faith traditions. Episcopal Divinity School is an academic community of biblical, historical, and theological inquiry that respects students as responsible learners with valuable experience, supports spiritual and ministerial formation, and provides tools for the life-long work of social and personal transformation. To learn more about EDS, visit www.eds.edu.