Meg Giordano’s journey through theological education is a testament to the transformative power of faith, scholarship, and community. A graduate of Northeastern Seminary, Meg completed her Master of Arts in Theological Studies in 2015, and this past June, she reached a significant milestone by successfully defending her doctoral thesis at the Vrije University in Amsterdam. Her thesis, titled, In Pursuit of Human Flourishing: A Study in Personal Violence and its Remedy, explores the intricate interplay of personal violence and the potential for healing, drawing upon the wisdom of Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, and Proclus.
In her own words, Meg shared, “My thesis considers what it might look like if we took the ways that the Holy Spirit moves among human beings as a model for our own efforts to live contra-violently.”
This achievement is not just a culmination of years of rigorous study, but also a reflection of the deep spiritual formation that began at Northeastern Seminary. Meg’s time at the Seminary was marked by an immersion in a community of love, grace, and intellectual rigor—an environment that shaped her profoundly.
“The example set by the faculty, and the love and grace they consistently extended to the students, shaped me deeply,” Meg expressed with gratitude. “It is an example I work daily to carry forward and embody in my own contexts.”
Now, with her doctorate in hand, Meg has stepped into a new role as a faculty member at Barnett College of Ministry and Theology at Southeastern University in Florida. While she will be teaching graduate courses online, Meg remains rooted in Syracuse, where she continues to teach philosophy and serve as the Ecumenical Chaplain at Le Moyne College. Meg carries with her Northeastern's culture of respect-filled community, a facet of theological education that continues to bear fruit in her vocation.
Meg’s story is also interwoven with that of her son, David Giordano, who is currently a student at Northeastern Seminary, pursuing his MDiv with a focus on social ethics and the theology of neurodiversity. David credits his mother’s journey at Northeastern with having a profound impact on his own faith development.
“In high school, I started to wrestle with doubt and ask big questions about faith. I had doubts about whether Scripture was a reliable source of authority and was unsure how to interpret what it says,” David shared. “The way I was working through these questions had me on a trajectory to leave my path to ministry and possibly following Jesus altogether.”
It was during this critical time that David found unexpected guidance through his mother’s theological education. “When my mother started attending NES, she would simply share her homework with me,” he recalled. “My exposure to what she was learning opened my eyes to the global church at such a young age and made me realize I was not alone in the way I was processing my faith. I want others who interact with me to experience what I did when my mom brought her homework home.”
Meg’s dedication to embodying the love and grace she experienced at Northeastern Seminary extends to her students, her family, and community. As she continues to teach and mentor her story serves as a model to all seeking the integration of faith and scholarship.