Rebecca Schlatter Liberty

Adjunct Lecturer (Honors)

Education: B.A summa cum laude in American Studies, Amherst College; Honors thesis: “New Houses out of Old Bricks: Religious Experience and Individualism in the Writings of Rebecca Cox Jackson”
Master of Divinity, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
Master of Business Administration, Marylhurst University

Biography: Born in the Midwest and raised in Silicon Valley, California, I was ordained a Christian minister in the Lutheran tradition (ELCA) in 2002. For the past ten years I have served with churches of various denominations in Bangor, Maine, after serving in Hong Kong, California, and Nevada. I came to the University of Maine in 2018 as director of The Wilson Center for Spiritual Exploration and Multifaith Dialogue for one year. Now, in addition to my affiliation with the Honors College at UMaine, I work with the Center for Student Success at Husson University.

Publications: The Treasure Hunt of Your Life (Redwood Visions Press, 2009). My book in progress is tentatively titled Conversations on How We Belong.

Honors Involvement: HON 111 and previous lecturer on Christian Scripture in HON 112

Why I teach in Honors: Throughout my life and career, I have been drawn to conversations about what matters most to people. What does it mean to be a human inhabitant of this earth? What constitutes a good life, a sustainable community, a just society? As a student, I welcomed the chance to explore those questions through various ancient texts, which became important conversation partners in my own process of discerning my “callings” to work and community. As an ordained pastor, I have appreciated the “deep dive” into the way one religious tradition has addressed the big questions—in multiple cultural contexts and communities, and in dialogue with people from other traditions or none. In recent years, I have appreciated the broader perspectives possible in multifaith conversations, especially through the Wilson Center at UMaine. As an Honors preceptor, it is a privilege to share in the creative conversations between students, faculty, and texts.