Laura Bogle (MDiv 2010)
Born and raised in rural east Tennessee, Laura Bogle went to Earlham College, a Quaker school in Indiana, majoring in peace and global studies. After graduating in 1997, she interned at the American Friends Service Committee in Washington, DC and then spent six years as Midwest regional organizer for Jobs with Justice. Part of her work was to build relationships and solidarity between the labor movement and local congregations.
The granddaughter of a Disciples of Christ minister and former seminary president, Laura attended the Presbyterian church as a youngster and is now a Unitarian Universalist. She chose PSR because she wanted to explore her Christian heritage in the context of the interfaith dialogue available through the Graduate Theological Union; to further develop her UU theology through study at another GTU seminary, Starr King School for Ministry; and “to ground myself more deeply in spiritual traditions that would sustain me in justice work.”
One highlight of her experience here has been interacting with and learning from fellow students. “They have done incredible things in their lives before seminary. They are really courageous and committed people.” Another is that “PSR values putting people in new contexts and challenging their thinking about theology.” Her immersion trip to El Salvador, she says, “enabled me to experience liberation theology as its being lived, not just through reading about it.”
