Lisa Wilson Davison, Ph.D.
Professor and Department Chair of Religious Studies
Lynchburg College
Carnegie 333
434/544-8154
davison.l@lynchburg.edu
Experience/Background
Lisa Wilson Davison is a native of Radford, Virginia. She is a 1988 graduate of Lynchburg College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion and Spanish and graduated magna cum laude. In 1991 she was awarded a Master of Divinity degree from Texas Christian University's Brite Divinity School, and in 1996 a Master of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Davison received her Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from Vanderbilt in 1999.
During her seminary years, she served churches in Garland and Plano, Texas. She was ordained as a Disciples minister in September 1991. She has served as an interim associate minister in Louisville, Ky., and worked with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kentucky as a congregational campus ministry developer. Just prior to joining the faculty at LTS, she served for a year as the chaplain of Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri. From March 2003 until January, 2004, Davison served as the interim preacher for Kaleidoscope Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), an emerging congregation in the Kentucky region. From November 2008 until February 2009, she served as the interim senior minister of Woodland Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Lexington.
Dr. Davison served as professor of First Testament at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington for 13 years. She just joined the faculty of Lynchburg College, where she will serve as professor of Religious Studies and chair of the Religion Department.
Dr. Davison enjoys traveling with her husband, Michael, who also is an ordained minister.
Degrees and Certifications
1999: Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, Major: Hebrew Bible; Minor: History of Religion
Dissertation: "Thy Word Is A Lamp Unto My Feet": A Study of the Vocabulary, Grammar, and Semantics of Psalm 119 (1998)
1996: M.A., Vanderbilt University, Major: Hebrew Bible; Minor: History of Religion
1991: M.Div., Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University
1988: B.A., Magna Cum Laude, Lynchburg College, Majors: Religion and Spanish
Courses Taught
Gender Hermeneutics
Introduction to the First Testament
Prophets, Justice, and Ethical Issues for the Church
Difficult Issues and Biblical Interpretation
Theological Perspectives of Disciples of Christ Missions
Christian Biblical Interpretation/Implications for the Holocaust
Senior Theological Symposium
First Testament Narrative
First Testament Poetry, Prophecy, Wisdom, & Apocalyptic
Seminar on Job
Seminar on Psalms
Prophetic Preaching
Feminist Theology
Introduction to the New Testament
Public Speaking
Women of the First Testament
First Testament Theology
Eighth Century Prophets
Exegesis of the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew I and II
Intermediate Hebrew
Feminist Theology
Exegesis and Preaching of Difficult Texts of the First Testament
Travel Seminar to Israel
Basic Preaching
Pastoral Ministry
Honors and Awards
M. Carey Brewer Alumni Award, Lynchburg College, 1997
Tuition Scholarship, Vanderbilt University 1992-95
Ann E. Dickerson Scholarship, Division of Higher Education, DOC 1992-94
Disciples Divinity House Scholarship, Vanderbilt University, 1992-95
Colby D. Hall Award, Brite Divinity School, 1991
Theta Phi Honor Society, Brite Divinity School, 1991
Highest Honors in Religion, Lynchburg College, 1988
Religious Studies Award, Lynchburg College, 1988
Sommerville Scholar Award, Lynchburg College, 1987-88
Gold Key Honor Society, Lynchburg College, 1987
Cardinal Key Honor Sorority, Lynchburg College, 1987
Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, Lynchburg College, 1985
Publications and Presentations
Dr. Davison's first book, Preaching the Women of the Bible, was published in June, 2006. She wrote the commentary on the Book of Job for The New Interpreter's Study Bible(Abingdon Press, 2003). She also co-wrote a chapter on I and II Samuel/I and II Kings for Introduction to the Old Testament (Chalice Press, 2003), and has an essay in Tabletalk(Chalice Press, 2003). Dr. Davison is the author of many book reviews published in The Lexington Theological Quarterly, Encounter, Interpretation, and Review of Biblical Literature. She wrote entries for the Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement and has had articles published in DisciplesWorld magazine. Most recently, she had a sermon published in Those Preaching Women: A Multi-Cultural Collection. Dr. Davison is currently writing essays for New Proclamation Year C to be published later this year.
Dr. Davison is often invited to speak to local congregations and retreats on the topics of books in the First Testament, women in the Bible, sexuality and the Bible, and Christian use and misuse of the First Testament.
Professional Associations
Member, Society of Biblical Literature
Member, Forrest-Moss Disciples Women Scholars
Member, Association of Disciples for Theological Discussion