Led by: Richard Swanson & Pam Faro
Thursday, November 20, 2025
7:00-8:30pm EST
One of the things we love about the biblical storytelling tradition is that the stories know each other. Every character hangs out with all the other characters.
In this workshop we will consider who in the tradition Mary might know. With Pam’s storytelling and Richard’s provoking of the texts , we will explore together which of the women in the Bible she might have learned from. As it turns out, the women in the Bible are not particularly submissive. In this workshop we will bring Mary into the company of Puah and Shiphrah, and of Hagar and Sarah. As it turns out, she is a lot like them.
Richard W. Swanson
Richard Swanson is Professor of Religion (Emeritus) at Augustana University. He has written several books, all of which have the phrase “provoking the gospel” in the title. His most recent project was the creation of a play (with Grace Ahles and Hanna Beshai). The title of the play is This Is My Body, a phrase that shows up in sacramental theology and in every #MeToo story you have ever heard.
Pam Faro
Pam Faro has performed and taught storytelling since 1988, across the US and overseas. Her diverse repertoire includes multicultural folktales, bilingual cuentos, biblical storytelling, interfaith storytelling, and personal/historical narratives including the true story of her great-uncle surviving the Titanic. Having received her MDiv from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, she serves as a consultant/workshop-leader in using storytelling in ministry settings, in addition to her work as a performer and educator.
Led by: Richard Swanson & Pam Faro
Thursday, November 20, 2025
7:00-8:30pm EST
One of the things we love about the biblical storytelling tradition is that the stories know each other. Every character hangs out with all the other characters.
In this workshop we will consider who in the tradition Mary might know. With Pam’s storytelling and Richard’s provoking of the texts , we will explore together which of the women in the Bible she might have learned from. As it turns out, the women in the Bible are not particularly submissive. In this workshop we will bring Mary into the company of Puah and Shiphrah, and of Hagar and Sarah. As it turns out, she is a lot like them.
Richard W. Swanson
Richard Swanson is Professor of Religion (Emeritus) at Augustana University. He has written several books, all of which have the phrase “provoking the gospel” in the title. His most recent project was the creation of a play (with Grace Ahles and Hanna Beshai). The title of the play is This Is My Body, a phrase that shows up in sacramental theology and in every #MeToo story you have ever heard.
Pam Faro
Pam Faro has performed and taught storytelling since 1988, across the US and overseas. Her diverse repertoire includes multicultural folktales, bilingual cuentos, biblical storytelling, interfaith storytelling, and personal/historical narratives including the true story of her great-uncle surviving the Titanic. Having received her MDiv from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, she serves as a consultant/workshop-leader in using storytelling in ministry settings, in addition to her work as a performer and educator.
