Maria Russell Kenney

Maria Russell Kenney serves as Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at Asbury Theological Seminary, bringing over twenty-five years of integrated ministry and academic experience. Her work bridges theological scholarship with direct community engagement through campus ministry, low-income housing advocacy in central Appalachia, residential care for emotionally disturbed adolescents, and international medical relief efforts.

Her educational foundation includes:

• B.S. from Texas Tech University (1993)
• M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary (2002)
• Ph.D. from Durham University (2017)

Dr. Kenney specializes in Temperance ethics applied to contemporary challenges including consumption culture and trans-humanism, alongside the historical development of virtue traditions and practical Christian hospitality models. Her research consistently connects theological theory with communal living practices, informed by her founding role in Lexington's Communality fellowship and early participation in the New Monasticism movement.

Her scholarly output features contributions to the Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics and T & T Clark Companion to Christian Ethics, with co-editing of the forthcoming Practicing the Kingdom: Essays in Honor of Christine D. Pohl, demonstrating sustained engagement with virtue-based community formation.

With seventeen years of pastoral and missional church involvement, Dr. Kenney currently worships at Open Door Church in Lexington alongside her children, maintaining active mentorship through local congregational work and intentional community initiatives.