October 22, 2019
This blog features stories about the Wheaton College Graduate School. In this week's post, learn more about how M.A. in Historical Theology student Cody Bivins is applying his learning as a graduate fellow in Wheaton's Center for Applied Christian Ethics.
Where Passion and Opportunity Meet: Cody Bivins's Story
A few months ago, if you asked Cody Bivins if he would find himself at the Wheaton College Graduate School this fall, he would have said that the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. And yet here he is, a graduate student in the M.A. in Historical Theology program and new Graduate Fellow of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics.
Cody Bivins spent a year in seminary before he met up with a friend studying at Wheaton Graduate School. He was intrigued by his friend’s experience at Wheaton. Plus, when Cody shared about his passion to see Christian ethics lived out, his friend said, “You’ve got to come to Wheaton.”
Shortly after this meeting, Cody looked up the Wheaton College Graduate School, specifically the M.A. in Historical Theology. As he read about the program, it began to click.
“The program was academically appealing, robust, and rigorous. Most importantly, the program was asking the questions that I wanted to be asking.”
Within the two months before class began, Cody applied and transferred to Wheaton College. Now a month into his time at Wheaton, it’s hard for Cody to choose what he’s most excited about. It might be getting to spend time with professors, like Drs. Daniel Treier and Marc Cortez, who are both passionate about integrating deep theological reflection with the life of a Christian. Cody has already had great theological conversations with Dr. Cortez about race, gender, and disability.
Another opportunity that has been a great cause for excitement is Cody’s new role as the Graduate Fellow at the Center for Applied Christian Ethics (CACE). CACE exists to promote and encourage the formation of moral character and the application of biblical ethics to contemporary moral decisions. Through this internship, Cody gets to help create dialogue around the integration of faith and theology into the lives of believers and into both local and global issues.
“I’m most excited about the opportunities to engage in Christian ethics and to work with people who are committed to this discipline. I’ll have the opportunity to interview top thought leaders like Jemar Tisby and Karon Swallow Prior. It’s exciting to have this opportunity to engage, whatever the capacity.”
After Wheaton, Cody is considering a Ph.D. in Christian or Theological Ethics or fulfilling the dream of joining a L’arche Community, a place where people are fundamentally reshaping the way we give care to brothers and sisters with disabilities. Regardless of what is next, Cody is excited for what the present holds. For Cody, and for many of our graduate students, Wheaton is the place where passion and opportunity meet.
- Dana Krol
Promoting and encouraging the formation of moral character and the application of biblical ethics to contemporary moral decisions, CACE serves Wheaton faculty and students through a portfolio of activities, including ethical training, public forums, and projects.
An M.A. in Theology trains students to engage theological ideas in the world today through a strong biblical, evangelical foundation, mastery of our diverse theological heritage, and familiarity with contemporary, global developments in theology.