Ph.D. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Teaching interests: Without a doubt, my teaching interests are rather eclectic. My biblical studies repertoire
                                                   at ¸£Àûµ¼ÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ includes Exploring the Old Testament and Exploring the New Testament.
                                                   Both of these courses are thematic in nature and include discussion of topics like
                                                   family, gender, power, body image, sex, and social class (among many others) as they
                                                   are represented in the Bible. You don't want to miss my topics courses, which have
                                                   included The Bible and Cultural Criticism and the Cultural Significance of Monsters.
                                                   The Bible and Cultural Criticism course explores representations of the Bible in popular
                                                   culture as well as examining the appropriation strategies of various readers. The
                                                   Cultural Significance of Monsters is a trip down American history through the lens
                                                   of the monsters we create. Want to know what Frankenstein had to do with the African
                                                   slave trade? Do you wonder about the connection between zombies and 9/11? Then this
                                                   is the course for you.
                                                
                                                I also teach Sacred Texts of the West, which includes (in one semester) a brief survey
                                                   of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Qur'an. I also have a good time exploring
                                                   a variety of religions in Survey of World Religions (including Hinduism and Buddhism)
                                                   while in Introduction to Religion I really enjoy challenging students’ preconceived
                                                   understanding of religion.
                                                
                                                Research interests: My research interests focus on how people use and read the Bible. This allows me to
                                                   write about really cool stuff! My book,  (Bloomsbury, 2020), looks at how the Bible is used by young-Earth creationists at
                                                   the Kentucky Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter, and the Museum of the Bible in
                                                   Washington, DC. My previous work considered how Genesis 6:1-4 factored into certain
                                                   year 2012 apocalyptic scenarios. I also served as guest editor for a  devoted to ETI-religions (commonly known as UFO cults). My contribution to this issue,
                                                   "Revisionism in ET-Inspired Religions" examined how ETI Religions appropriate biblical
                                                   themes.