Union Theological Seminary is excited to welcome Dr. Myron Krys Florence as our 2023-25 Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow
President Serene Jones shares, “We are excited to welcome Dr. Myron Krys Florence to Union. We look forward to his joining our faculty and our students benefiting from his scholarship and teaching. We also look forward to his role in growing our Chaplaincy as well as our Psychology and Religion programs.”
Dr. Myron Krys (pronounced “Chris”) Florence, a native of Decatur, Georgia, holds three masters: a Master of Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design, and a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Practical Theology, both from Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, GA). At Columbia, he graduated with honors, receiving the seminary’s highest award, the Harvard A. Anderson Graduate Fellowship, as well as the Buechner Award in Preaching. He recently earned his PhD in Pastoral Theology, Personality, and Culture (clinical track) at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. His dissertation is entitled, “Between Lyrics and Lives: How Lyrical Theologies of Brokenness Impact the Lived Expression of Same Gender Loving Male Gospel Singers.” He is also psycho-dynamically trained, receiving an Advanced Certificate in Self Psychology and Religion from the Center for Religion and Psychotherapy of Chicago. Outside of the academy, he has served as interim pastor for different faith communities. With his extensive background in church and theological education, and as a practicing psychotherapist, Myron Krys has a heart to help marginalized people who have been traumatized by fundamentalist theologies deconstruct and heal from theological trauma. When he is not studying, Myron Krys is a singer/recording artist and a member of Toastmasters International, where he perfects his speaking and leadership skills. He enjoys every element of art, from fine art and design to acting and performance.
Dr. Myron Krys Florence shares, “I am overjoyed to join the stellar faculty at THE Union Theological Seminary for the next two years as a visiting professor and Louisville Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Pamela Cooper-White was my Introduction to Pastoral Care professor at Columbia Theological Seminary many years ago. Her class was the impetus for my pursuit of pastoral care and counseling. Thus, it is serendipitous that I now find myself following in her footsteps at Union. During my tenure, I look forward to learning from both the faculty as well as the students, as I continue to develop as a scholar and academician.”
Union’s Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean, Su Yon Pak shares, “I am excited to welcome Dr. Myron Krys Florence to our Union community. He joins our Practical Theology field and will be an essential faculty in our growing chaplaincy concentration and psychology and religion concentration. He brings not only his scholarship and teaching, but also his experience as a mental health professional with a focus on religious/theological trauma and sexuality in BIPOC communities. I look forward to his many gifts, including as a celebrated gospel singer, flourish and bloom here at Union.”
About the Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship:
As part of the Louisville Institute’s Vocation of the Theological Educator Initiative (VTE), the Postdoctoral Fellowship program provides early-career scholars with two-year visiting professorships at North American theological schools, colleges, or universities. Fellowship recipients are accompanied by a faculty peer mentor and pastoral peer mentor throughout their fellowship, and participate in a peer cohort for ongoing professional development and vocational formation.
Louisville Institute is funded by the Religion Division of Lilly Endowment Inc. and based at
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Louisville, Kentucky). The Louisville Institute’s
mission is to bridge Church and academy through awarding grants and fellowships to those who
study North American religious institutions, practices, and movements, and thereby promoting
scholarship that strengthens Church, academy, society, and contributes to the flourishing of the
Church.