Faculty and Staff
The department's faculty are active in a number of professional scholarly organizations, including the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature. Also productive scholars themselves, faculty present papers, chair conference sessions, and write for publication. Work published by members of the department in recent years includes a considerable number of books and many articles on a wide variety of subjects.
Constance R. Barclay
Administrative Assistant, Modern Languages and Religion
Dr. James W. Barker
Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., New Testament and Early Christianity, Vanderbilt University; M.T.S., Biblical Studies, Vanderbilt Divinity School; B.A., History and Religious Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Research Interests: Interrelations of the Gospels; Canonization of the New Testament; Second-Century Christianities
Tom Blanton
Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., Biblical Studies, University of Chicago; M.T.S., Duke Divinity School; B.A. Psychology, University of North Carolina
Research Interests: Discursive and practical strategies deployed by various religious groups in attempts to enhance their authority, prestige, and often, access to material goods; early Judaism (Dead Sea Scrolls, apocalyptic traditions) and earliest Christianity (apostle Paul), as well as the broader cultural milieus within which they developed
Sean D. Burke
Assistant Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., Biblical Studies, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California; M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary; B.A., Judeo-Christian Heritage, Concordia College
Research Interests: Eunuchs, sex in the Bible, queer theory and the interpretation of scripture
Dr. Wanda Deifelt
Professor of Religion
Department Head
Education: Ph.D., Joint Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Northwestern University Doctoral Program; M.T.S., Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary; B.A., Faculdade de Teologia, Escola Superior de Teologia
Research Interests: Contextual Christian Theologies (particularly feminism and liberation), Reformation, Ecumenism, Interdisciplinary Studies on Embodiment, and Interfaith Dialogue
Evgenia Fotiou
ACM-Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow
Education: Ph.D., Anthropology and Latin American Studies, University of Wisconsin – Madison; M.A., Anthropology, University of Wisconsin – Madison; B.A., Communication and Mass Media, National and Capodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Dr. Todd H. Green
Assistant Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., Vanderbilt University; M. Div., Columbia Theological Seminary; M.A., Vanderbilt University; B.A., Birmingham-Southern College
Research Interests: Secularization and Islamophobia in the West, Interreligious Dialogue
Scott Hurley
Visiting Assistant Professor of Paideia
Education: Ph.D., East Asian Studies, University of Arizona; M.A., East Asian Studies, University of Arizona; B.S., Family Studies, University of Arizona
Research Interests: New religions of China and Japan, early-mid twentieth century Chinese Buddhism, animal rights and welfare issues
Dr. Gereon Kopf
Associate Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., Religious Studies, Temple University; M.A., Temple University
Research Interests: Zen Buddhist philosophy, Kyoto School, personal identity, deconstruction ethics
Dr. James Martin-Schramm
Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., Christian Ethics, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York; M. Phil., Christian Ethics, Union Theological Seminary in New York City; M. Div., Parish Ministry, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary; B.A., Doctrines of Human Nature, Pacific Lutheran University
Research Interests: Ethics, Energy, and Climate Policy; Theological Ethics and Duties to Future Generations; Christian Social Ethics; Campus Renewable Sustainability Initiatives
Dr. Guy Nave Jr.
Associate Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., New Testament Studies, Social History of Early Christianity, Yale University; M.Phil., New Testament Studies, Biblical Interpretation, Yale University; M.A., New Testament Studies, Greco-Roman Milieu, Yale University; M.Div., Biblical Studies, New Testament Exegesis, Princeton Theological Seminary; B.A., Psychology, Oral Roberts University
Research Interests: Origins and social history of early Christianity, social implications of biblical interpretation, the relationship between Christianity and empire, the relationship between scripture and faith
Robert F. Shedinger
Associate Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., Religious Studies (with distinction), Temple University; M.A., Religious Studies, Temple University; M.Div., Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary; B.S., magna cum laude, Civil Engineering Tech, Temple University
Research Interests: The Syriac versional tradition of the New Testament, theoretical approaches to the study of religion, Christian-Muslim relations in the contemporary world
Dr. Terry Sparkes
Associate Dean and Dir. of Curriculum Dev and College Honors
Education: Ph.D., University of Chicago Divinity School, History of Christianity; M.Div., Colgate Rochester Divinity School/Bexley Hall/Crozer Theological Seminary; B.A., Denison University, French Language and Literature
Research Interests: Immigration and religious diversity in the U.S.; religion, politics, and culture; religious fundamentalisms and modernity; religion and identity in modern American fiction; interdisciplinary studies and the liberal arts; global peace and justice studies
Dr. Karla Suomala
Associate Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., Hebraic and Cognate Studies, Hebrew Union College; M. Phil., Hebraic and Cognate Studies, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago; M. Phil., Hebrew Bible, Rabbinics, and Judaism in the Greco Roman Period, Hebrew Union College; B.A., Comparative Literature, University of Michigan
Research Interests: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim dialogue; biblical interpretation: Jewish Hellenistic, Rabbinic, early Christian fathers, Syriac; Pentateuch; biblical themes in Early Renaissance art
Dr. Kristin Swanson
Associate Professor of Religion
Education: Ph.D., Religion, Vanderbilt; M.T.S., Trinity Lutheran Seminary; B.A., summa cum laude, California Lutheran University
Research Interests: Judah at the end of the 8th century BCE, Book of Judges
