Shandon Klein

Shandon C. Klein is a doctoral student in the field of Religious Ethics. Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, she gained a rich foundation in the Episcopal Church as a child by the influence of her grandmother, and her love of research bloomed at an early age with her love of the sciences. Initially pursuing her dream of becoming a pediatric cardiac surgeon and heart failure researcher, Shandon obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Biology and Chemistry with an emphasis in Biotechnology and Biochemistry from Minnesota State University Moorhead, and her Masters of Science in Biotechnology Enterprise from Johns Hopkins University. She continued as a Research Assistant in heart failure research at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas; however, after a car accident in 2011, she was forced to re-evaluate her calling to the medical field. God would lead her to a position at First United Methodist Church Richardson, where she recognized her call to ministry as an ordained elder and public theologian.

Shandon is currently a certified candidate for the order of Elder in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church and a lay delegate to the 2020 General Conference (to be held in 2024). At Perkins School of Theology, where she received her Masters of Divinity in 2021, Shandon discovered her passion for Christian ethics and systematic theology. She also gained a burning desire to bridge the gap between the "ivory towers" of the Academy and the living out of faith in Christian communities.

In her doctoral work, Shandon is studying an ethic of resistance and an ethic of control along with ideologies about "God" that support or oppose them in various cultures. She is also interested in determining whether there may be a correlation between an ethic of resistance and infused virtues (known in the Christian tradition as faith, hope, and love, inspired by the Holy Spirit). Is oppression or distress necessary to embrace the ethic of resistance authentically, or does spiritual receptivity also play a role? Such work has implications not only for our divisive American context but for Christian discipleship cross-culturally.

In Shandon's leisure, she loves spending time with her husband Shane and her three fur babies (Harley, the 4-year-old goofy Great Dane, Jax, the 5-year-old loveable Rottweiler, and Doug, an 8-year-old tabby cat that rules the roost). She has a love of music and dance, alongside a mild obsession with Enneagram studies that feed her self-professed "nerdom."

What I Do

Scholar

Studying the ethic of resistance and the ethic of control along with the theologies that support or oppose them in various cultures.

Preacher

Called towards womanist, prophetic witness of anti-oppression, inclusivity and reconciliation within the Christian tradition

Writer

Creator of op-eds, blogs, journal articles, and (hopefully) books.

Theological Ethicist

Exploring theological frameworks of "right" or "wrong" action across oppressed and privileged cultures.

Abbreviated CV

Tracking the Journey
Download Full Curriculum Vitae

Education

August 2021 - Present
Southern Methodist University

PhD Student, Religious Ethics

Studying the ethic of resistance and the ethic of control in oppressed and privileged cultures along with the theologies that support or oppose them.

August 2018 - May 2021
Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University

M.Div.

Graduated Summa Cum Laude

August 2010 - May 2012
Johns Hopkins University

M.S. Biotechnology Enterprise

Graduated Cum Laude

August 2004 - May 2009
Minnesota State University Moorhead

B.A. Biology and Chemistry (double major) with emphasis in Biotechnology and Biochemistry

Graduated Summa Cum Laude

Minor in Communication Studies

Research Experience

Expected Start 2023
Southern Methodist University

Dissertation

Advisor(s): Rebekah Miles, Karen Baker-Fletcher, Steve Long

Spring 2022 - Fall 2022
Southern Methodist University

Research Assistant

Advisor: Karen Baker-Fletcher

  • Researching for Dr. Baker-Fletcher’s upcoming book project on black women activists who are survivors of unjust violence and exemplars of spiritual resilience.

Scholarly Publications & Presentations

Journal Papers in Progress

Klein, Shandon, “The Value of Personhood: Creative Use of an Ethic of Resistance and Ethic of Control within the life of Pauli Murray” (tentative title)

Conference Presentations

Salcedo, Abbie and Klein, Shandon, “Theological Virtues in the Anti-Black Racism Discourse of Religious Studies Professors.” American Association for Adult and Continuing Education Conference, October 14, 2022.

Colloquy Presentations

Response to Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism. Graduate Program of Religious Studies Ethics Colloquy for Tate Willson Lecture, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, March 9, 2022.

  • Invited to respond to guest lecturer Jonathan Tran in colloquy

Awards & Fellowships

  • 2022 Angella P. Current-Felder Women of Color Scholars, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, United Methodist Church
  • 2022 - 2024 Doctoral Fellowship, Louisville Institute
  • 2022 Honorable Mention, Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
  • 2021 - 2026 Mustang Fellowship, Southern Methodist University
  • 2021 The Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Flinn Senior Award, Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology
  • 2021 The Charley T. and Jesse James Bible Award, Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology
  • 2021 The Robert Weatherford Prize for Internship Preaching, Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology
  • 2020 B’nai B’rith Award in Social Ethics, Harold M. Kaufman Memorial Foundation

Public Leadership & Service

2019 - Present
Southern Methodist University

Student Member, Fall Convocation Advisory Board

2019 - Present
United Methodist Church

Lay Delegate to 2020 General Conference, Rescheduled to 2024

Lay Delegate to 2020 South Central Jurisdictional Conference, Rescheduled to Oct 2022

2018 - Present
North Texas Annual Conference

Lay Member, 2019 – Present

Certified Candidate for the order of Elder, 2018 – Present

Black Church Task Force, Participant, 2020 – 2021

Genesis Church Planting Cohort, 2020 - 2021

2016 - Present
First United Methodist Church Richardson

Ministry Associate, 2020 – Present

Circle Leader, United Women in Faith, 2019 - Present

Assistant Director of Welcoming Ministries, 2016 - 2020

Research Interests

Comparative study of oppressed and privileged cultures in regard to both ethics and lived theology

Ethic of Resistance

Ethic of Control

Pneumatology

Hermeneutics

Professional Affiliations

American Academy of Religion, 2021 - Present

Society of Christian Ethics, 2021 – Present

  • Nominated as a Student Member of the Board of Directors, 2022 (Elections to be held January 2023)

Society of Biblical Literature, 2021 – Present

American Association for Adult and Continuing Education, 2022 – Present

Upcoming Events

Where I'll Be Next
July 2023
09 July 2023

Shandon preaches @ Spring Valley UMC

Join Shandon as she guest preaches in Common Ground Contemporary Worship at Spring Valley UMC ...

11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Wesley Hall, 7700 Spring Valley Road, Dallas TX, 75254
Local Time:
Jul 09 2023 |
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
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November 2023
18 November 2023
21 November 2023

Shandon Presents at AAR

Shandon presents two conference papers entitled "Quaring an Ethic of Resistance and Ethic of Control: The ...

8:00 am - 12:00 am
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Booking & Contact Information

Get in Touch
Shandon Klein

Occasionally, as her schedule permits, Shandon Klein is available for preaching engagements, op-eds, and commissioned articles for an honorarium.

(Note: With the advent of COV-ID19, virtual engagements are prioritized at this time)

 

If you would like to set up a conversation regarding Shandon's research, have an inquiry about booking virtually or in-person, or would like to learn about how to support Shandon's endeavors, please fill out the contact form below.

Let's Connect!