BU Professor Aims to Launch Religion and Pan-African Studies Program

Womanist theologian emilie m. townes seeks to bridge religious and secular scholarship at Boston University.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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emilie m. townes, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Professor of Religion and Black Studies at Boston University's School of Theology, is working to establish a new religion and pan-African studies program that would bring together academic departments across the university. Townes, a leading womanist theologian, believes the study of theology has a place outside of universities and houses of worship, and she is motivated to share her extensive knowledge with the public sphere.

Why it matters

Townes sees her work as a way to transform the world through activism, advocacy, and the field of social ethics. By launching an interdisciplinary program that combines religious and secular scholarship, she aims to address the social ills that plague society today and equip students with the skills for effective social change.

The details

Townes joined the BU School of Theology in 2024 as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Professor of Religion and Black Studies. She is a dean emerita of Vanderbilt Divinity School and was the first African American and first woman dean of academic affairs at Yale Divinity School. Townes has held named professorships at several prestigious institutions and was the first African American woman elected to the presidential line of the American Academy of Religion, where she served as president in 2008.

  • Townes joined the BU School of Theology in 2024.

The players

emilie m. townes

The Martin Luther King, Jr., Professor of Religion and Black Studies at the BU School of Theology, and a leading womanist theologian in the United States.

G. Sujin Pak

The dean of the BU School of Theology, who has expressed enthusiasm for Townes' proposed religion and pan-African studies program.

Nimi Wariboko

The Walter G. Muelder Professor of Social Ethics at the BU School of Theology, who has expressed interest in the proposed program.

Luther Young, Jr.

An assistant professor of religion and society at the BU School of Theology, who has expressed interest in the proposed program.

Shively Smith

An associate professor of New Testament and director of the PhD program at the BU School of Theology, who has expressed interest in the proposed program.

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What they’re saying

“I cannot imagine anyone better than emilie townes to rally people and resources at BU to ignite a religion and pan-African studies program at Boston University. Her scholarship and leadership bring to Boston University and the School of Theology enhanced capabilities for interdisciplinary analysis of the social ills that plague our world today, constructive responses, and the equipping of skills for effective social change.”

— G. Sujin Pak, Dean of the BU School of Theology (bu.edu)

“Activism, for me, is much more than marching in the streets. It's how I construct my syllabi, the subjects I teach, the folks I talk with, the conversations that we have in the classroom and out in the community. The whole idea is to help transform the world.”

— emilie m. townes (bu.edu)

What’s next

Townes is working to launch a symposium that would allow students, faculty, staff, clergy, laity, and activists to share resources and insights as part of the proposed religion and pan-African studies program.

The takeaway

By bridging religious and secular scholarship through an interdisciplinary program, Townes aims to address systemic social issues and equip students with the skills to drive meaningful change in the world.