Nancy Lynne Westfield, Ph.D.

Nancy Lynne Westfield, Ph.D. joined the staff of the Wabash Center in 2019 and is the fourth Director since the Center’s founding in 1996. She brings to this role her gifts as teacher, author, public theologian, strategist, facilitator, advocate, and imagineer, guiding the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion with vision and creativity.

The Wabash Center continues to elevate conversations about teaching and learning in the fields of religion and theology. Looking toward the future, the Center embraces the challenge of rethinking, innovating, and cross-pollinating new approaches to pedagogy across diverse educational contexts. 

Dr. Westfield explains: 

“So many schools believe that offering online classes is the solution to the challenges of 21st-century higher education. In reality, this is only the tip of the iceberg. We must imagine and build learning institutions that will teach, think, create, and dream within the digital landscape—institutions known for their fluency, dexterity, equity, and freedom in pursuit of a more just society.”

In a time marked by multiple pandemics, polarization, and culture wars—both in society and within the academy—Dr. Westfield leads with an artist’s eye. Her research, writing, and teaching in womanist thought and practice, informs her creative pedagogy and leadership. She is committed to honing the Wabash Center’s ability to respond with both intellect and compassion, cultivating the dynamism necessary for meaningful teaching in the digital age. She believes in the transformative power of education to liberate, heal, and renew communities.

Before her appointment at the Wabash Center, Dr. Westfield served on the faculty of Drew University from 1999 to 2019 as Professor of Religious Education. She became known for her innovative course designs, her ability to connect classroom learning with congregational life and public engagement, and her justice-centered initiatives, often supported by national grants. Her work reshaped the seminary curriculum and inspired students to connect theological study with real-world practice.

Dr. Westfield holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Murray State University, a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Scarritt Graduate School, a Master of Theological Studies from Drew University Theological School, and a Ph.D. from the Union Institute. She is an ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church. A skilled landscape architect and avid gardener, she brings ecological design sensibilities into dialogue with her commitments to religious education, offering unique perspectives on theology and pedagogy.

She believes that theologians and scholars of religion deserve a larger voice in the public square. Her podcast, Dialogue on Teaching, features conversations with colleagues whose ideas extend beyond the classroom to wider audiences. Her blog, Teaching on the Pulse, explores connections between pedagogy, public discourse, and social transformation.

Dr. Westfield’s published works include:

• All Quite Beautiful: Living in a Multicultural Society (children’s book, 1996)
• Dear Sisters: A Womanist Practice of Hospitality (2007)
• Black Church Studies: An Introduction (co-authored, 2007)
• Being Black/Teaching Black: Politics and Pedagogy in Religious Studies (co-authored, 2010)
• Glimpses of Me and Mine (a creative biography, 2023)

Her forthcoming book, Thinking Teaching, will be published in 2026.