Faculty

Donald E. Fadner
Professor of Religious Studies

Office: CCC 418
Phone: Phone:  (715) 346-3802
Email: dfadner@uwsp.edu

Education:
B.A. (Philosophy) Caroll College, Waukesha, WI - 1962
M.Div.
(Theology) Southern Methodist University, Dallas - 1965
A.M. (Theology) The University of Chicago - 1970
Ph.D. (Philosophical Theology) The University of Chicago - 1974





Courses Taught:
RS 102 Introduction to the Ways of Religion (MNS)*
RS 105 Myths of Creation (NWC)*
RS 301 Contemporary Religious Thought (“God and Nature”)
RS 304 New Testament and Early Christianity
RS 310 Religion and Moral Problems
RS 311 Religion in America*
RS 316 Native American Religions
RS 320 Selected Topics in Biblical Studies: "Searching for the Historical Jesus"
RS 330 Female Images and Myths in Religion*
RS 331 The Myth of the Hero*
[* Courses I originated]








 

 

 

Scholarly Activities:

Publications:

The Responsible God: A Study of the Christian Philosophy of H. Richard Niebuhr (Scholars Press, 1975)

   [This book received a featured review in The Journal of Religion, Vol. 57, No. 3 (July 1977), pp. 307-13.] 

"If I Should Die – Some Personal and Theological Reflections," Religion in Life, Vol. XLVIII, No. 24 (Summer, 1979), pp. 162-74. 

Review (1500 words) of Remaking Men by David Tacey, for The Journal of the American Academy of Religion (Spring, 1998)

Major Unpublished Works (in progress):

Unearthing Inanna, and the Female origins of Religion 

An Unauthorized Tour of Christian Origins (two chapters completed: "Locating the Gospel of John" and "Behind the Gospel")


Papers and Presentations:

"H. Richard Niebuhr and the Resymbolization of the Christian Message" (1977), for the Greater Milwaukee Theological Association 

"A Word on Behalf of Genesis" (intradepartmental exchange on religion and ecology) 

"If I Should Die – Personal and Theological Reflections" (1978), for the Upper Midwest Regional Convention of the American Academy of Religion 

"Response to ‘God as Author, God as Agent’ by David Luce" (1978), for the Wisconsin Philosophical Association 

"One Who Reaps Where He Does Not Sow" (1980), for the National Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, New York 

"Yes, Virginia, There Is Life After Death" [Whitehead's Metaphysics] (1980), for the Isaac Ferris Lectures of the UW-SP Philosophy Department

"Abortion: Personal and Theological Reflections" (1984), Isaac Ferris Lecture

"Heroic Theology: Langdon Gilkey's Centennial Address as Event" (1985), for the National Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Anaheim, CA 

"Shane" [The Myth of the Hero] (1987), fully developed paper used in Religious Studies 331; also, "The Wild Bunch"

"New Age Religion" (1988), for the United Christian Ministries Faculty Forum 

"Jesus Christ Superstar" (1989), for Student Affairs Issues Forum

"Feminist Theology" (1991), for Women in Higher Education

"Love is Where You Find It" [Homosexuality and Religion] (1991), for Student Affairs Issues Forum 

"Women in Religious Studies" (1991), for Lecture Forum, "Celebrating Women"

"Demythologizing the Men's Movement" (1993), For the L&S College Forum

"Myth, Men and Women, on the Eve of a New Millennium: Healing the Wounded Male" (November, 1994), for the National Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Chicago, Illinois 

"Does God Exist?" (1996), for a campus debate sponsored by Student Impact

"Unearthing Inanna, and the Female Origins of Religion" (April, 1997), for the Upper Midwest Regional Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, St. Paul, Minnesota.   

"Uniting Gaia and God" (July, 1997), accepted (but not delivered, due to a conflict) for the 22nd National Conference on Men and Masculinity, "Spirituality, Community, and Social Change," St. John’s University, St. Joseph, Minnesota

"Bonobos, Chimpanzees, and Humans: Exploring the Religious Significance of New Information about Human Origins" (October, 1997), for the Humanities Forum 

"Disney Gets Religion" (November, 1998), for the National Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Orlando, Florida


Special Studies:

NEH Summer Seminar (1984), "Gender and Popular Culture," George Wahington University, Washington, DC

Sabbatical (Spring, 1987): "The Myth of the Hero" 

Services:

1999-2007 – Chair, Philosophy Department Merit Committee
1984-89 – Advisor (actively involved), Women's Resource Center
1991-93 – L&S Dean’s Advisory Committee
1992 (spring) – Student Conduct Committee
1995-98 – Affirmative Action Committee
Secretary - 1996-97, 1998
1999 - 2007 –  Chair, Department of Philosophy
2000 - Faculty Senate
2000 - Committee on the Status of Women