Here at Palmer, we like to highlight how we are living out our mission “The Whole Gospel for the Whole World through Whole Persons.” It is wonderful to share how we are not only teaching and equipping our students but are encouraging and enabling them to step outside the walls of academia and put their hands to the plow. Yet, the reach of mission is in no small part expanded through the work of our talented and skilled alumni. Dr. Bridgette Rice (MDiv ‘17) carries Palmer’s mission into the field of nursing.
Dr. Rice entered Palmer Theological Seminary in 2012, having finished her PhD in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, and well into her career as a nursing educator. “I wanted to deconstruct my faith in a healthy way, using a systematic theological approach, to fully understand why I believe what I believe about God.” She considered seminary to be the right place to learn in a way that would prepare her for seasons of adversity. Dr. Rice began by researching certificate programs; however, her pastor at the time advised her to pursue advanced training. It was this encouragement, along with Palmer’s mission, that compelled her to enroll in the in-person MDiv program.
Dr. Rice is now the Associate for Research and Innovation at Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, and the Richard and Marianne Kreider Endowed Professor in Nursing for Vulnerable Populations. She explains that her Palmer education enriches her research, grounding her in the experience of the research participants and the research team. “Research is an advocacy tool,” Dr. Rice says. This is exemplified in her work related to gun violence. Her theological education informs how she understands research in the context of larger systemic injustices, and helps her to be mindful that research participants are whole persons who have experienced trauma. Moreover, it informs how intentional she is in debriefing her research team as they hear the stories of the participants.
Dr. Bridgette Rice, Palmer’s 2024 Alumna Waymaker in Service and Ministry, exemplifies that theological education can reach beyond the pulpit and Church walls. The Whole Gospel for the Whole World through Whole Persons is being lived out in nursing classrooms and in research right here in the greater Philadelphia area.