Knox College is pleased to announce the appointment of The Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis as Associate Professor in the position of Ewart Chair in Practice of Ministry and Faith Formation, effective January 1, 2024.
Dr. Travis has a bachelor’s degree in Honours Psychology from the University of Waterloo and completed her MDiv and ThD studies at Knox College. In her ThD dissertation, she focused on the intersection of preaching and colonialism – the Triune God deconstructs colonial narratives in favour of liberating narratives. Sarah is the author of four books: "Decolonizing Preaching: The Pulpit as Postcolonial Space" (2014), "Metamorphosis: Preaching after Christendom" (2019), "Unspeakable: Preaching and Trauma Informed Theology" (2021), and "Unsettling Worship: Reforming Liturgy for Right Relations with Indigenous Communities" (2023).
Dr. Travis has taught preaching and worship at Knox College since 2012, as well as serving as the Minister of the Chapel, and supporting the Doctor of Ministry program at TST as its Interim Director from 2017-2020. She is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada and has served pastoral charges in Guelph and Norval, Ontario.
Sarah brings her experience in leading worship and preaching to her teaching. Her particular expertise is in ethical approaches to preaching, and in her teaching, she focuses on fostering inclusive and vibrant conversation. Her current research interest is the potential of playful theologies and liturgies for healing trauma within congregations and the broader church. This research is supported by a Teacher-Scholar Grant from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship.
Given her expertise in homiletics and liturgy, Sarah is well-positioned to strengthen the academic programs at Knox, and we are excited to have her as part of the Knox College Faculty.