Faculty Bio: Dr. Christian Rice

Dr. Christian Rice is the Vice President and Dean of the School of Theology. He previously served as the Associate Dean for Civic Learning and Assistant Professor of Philosophy and the Humanities at Ursinus College. He is a lifelong member of the Moravian Church and brings a deep personal and professional commitment to theological education. An ethicist by training, he holds a Doctor of Theology and a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. He is passionate about integrating seminary traditions with the evolving needs of modern ministry. His scholarship has focused on examining the philosophical and moral underpinnings of human rights claims.

Degrees and Institutions:

• ThD, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, 2009
• MDiv, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, 2001

Honors, publications, and work:

• Received the H. Lloyd Jones, Jr. Award for Distinguished Advising and Mentoring, 2022.
• “The Moral Logic of Self-Defense and Identifying Rights of Urgent Moral Concern,” Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law and Religion (canopyforum.org), 2020.
• Participated on panel, “The Power of Civic Engagement—Across Campus, Within Communities, Beyond Borders,” AAC&U Conference, 1.24.2018.
• Visiting Scholar, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, invited to speak with faculty and students about liberal education and civic engagement, October 2016.
• “The Core of Public Reason: Freedom from Arbitrary Pain and Death.” In Religion and Public Policy: Human Rights, Conflict, and Ethics. Cambridge University Press, 2015.