What sparked your decision to go back to school, and how did you keep going on the tough days?
Pursuing a PhD with the IU Religious Studies department started as something I was doing for fun! We moved to Bloomington for my spouse’s doctoral work, so my primary role in those early years was to find a job and handle most of the house and kid duties. I had already completed a MA in theology and philosophy, so I did have an interest in religion when I started nosing around the department way back in 2014. After figuring out that I really enjoyed the reading and conversations with profs and students, I formally applied in 2016. I stuck with it, steadily, completing the dissertation in December 2024. So, my decision to pursue this work—when it comes to the question of what sparked my decision—was a mixture of the fact that it was practically possible to complete the coursework thanks to the flexibility of advising alongside the real passion that had grown in me for the content.
I tried to never take things too seriously. While I do believe that scholarship, particularly scholarship on religion, is of the utmost importance if we hope to better understand ourselves as human beings, that pursuit is neither accomplished in a single day, nor is it ever completed! Once I took this on board, and believed it, then the pressure that I might have felt over a particular project I was working on became understood within this larger perspective. That did not mean that there was never a frantic moment. Deadlines were still real. But most of the time I was able to appreciate a slower pace of steady learning and that felt good, because I truly believe that is how most knowledge is generated—quietly, unremarkably, amidst the humdrum of living life. That is, profound learning is inlaid within the quotidian, or so it seems to me. I think that helps to turn the pressure down.
What’s one surprising thing you learned—inside or outside the classroom—while working on your degree?
Asking the next great question is more important than discovering the next great answer. Both are important, but the question is what keeps the whole project of learning ever on the move.
What’s a fun fact about you or a hobby you enjoy outside of work?
Basketball. I either play or watch hoops nearly every day of the week. Every chance I get, I join the faculty/staff noontime game that happens in Bill Garrett Fieldhouse. One guy who plays (he is a historian, so he would know) told me that that game has been going on for over sixty years! Outside of Bill Garrett, I play in two weekly games held in a couple of our local elementary schools. I also play with the high school and younger players at the Southeast YMCA, which has been especially fun since my son, now a junior in high school, plays as well. Playing alongside (or against) him in these pick-up games will, no doubt, be some of my fondest memories of his teenage years. The comradery, the health benefits, a way to destress—these are all excellent benefits of playing, and I hope to continue as long as I’m able.
What’s a project or accomplishment you’re particularly proud of?
In March of 2024 I was able to travel (with funding from several IU sources) to the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. There I completed a two-week research stay at the Søren Kierkegaard Research Center. Kierkegaard, a nineteenth century Christian philosopher/theologian, was partly featured in my dissertation. What I’m proud of regarding this trip is how fruitful it was. This was due to some advanced planning on my part, but also to just good luck while I was at the Center. Ahead of the trip, I had reached out to numerous faculty and scheduled eight one-on-one meetings where I had prepared questions particular to that scholar’s expertise and related to my dissertation work. The luck part came in when I discovered in a one-off conversation, outside of these pre-planned meetings, a beautiful passage of Kierkegaard’s writings that perfectly fit into my larger project. It was a very productive and fun couple of weeks.