Published Works
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"What Did It Cost?" Sacrifice and Kenosis in The Infinity Saga
In Theology and the Marvel Universe, edited by Gregory Stevenson, Fortress Academic Press, 2019.
"Sacrifice" is not only a major underlying theme that is woven throughout Marvel's Infinity Saga, but it also serves as a motif in many of our culture's foundational mythologies and religions. This paper juxtaposes themes of sacrifice in The Infinity Saga with those found in the Bible, early Christianity, and the history of Western culture, to arrive at insights about both theology and the MCU. The question of whether "Thanos was right" is considered, and the saga as a whole is analyzed both from the perspective of René Girard's work on sacrifice as well as Walter Wink's concept of "the myth of redemptive violence." This analysis points to the the need for further differentiation between the popular understanding of sacrifice and the Christian concept of kenosis (self-emptying). Download
An Ascetic Aesthetic: St. John Chrysostom on the Discernment of Beauty in Music
In The Concept of Beauty in Patristic and Byzantine Theology, edited by John A McGuckin, Theotokos Press, 2012.
In the field of classical theological aesthetics, philosophical considerations of Beauty as a transcendental quality of existence abound. Meanwhile, the question of how Beauty with a capital "B" may relate to instances of perceived beauty in the artistic expressions and forms we encounter in the material world remains a subject of much scholarly neglect. If we hope to return "Beauty" to its proper place in our theological discourse, we will ultimately have to develop some theological apparatus for discussing "the beautiful" as it manifests in artistic, as well as cosmic, creation. This paper contributes to this effort through a discussion of John Chyrsostom's discernment of "beauty" in the musical expressions of his own time. Download
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Finding God in the In-Between: Towards a Postmodern Theology of Music and Art
Advised by: Dr. John Thatamanil, Union Theological Seminary; Dr. Thomas Beaudoin, Fordham University
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This paper examines the theology of music and art from a postmodern and postcolonial perspective, highlighting the religious underpinnings of modern Western "secularism," and deconstructing the contemporary understandings of spirituality and "the sacred" that have emerged as a result. This candid, creative, and at times humorous study looks at the symbiotic historical development of concepts like "art," "religion," and "culture" in the 18th century, revealing how our modern Western conventions surrounding these terms are inherently linked to modern colonialism, as well as class values that are not only morally inconsistent with the Gospel tradition, but theologically incompatible with the Christian revelation of the incarnation. Drawing on the work of theologians like Paul Tillich, Karl Rahner, Frank Burch Brown, Richard Viladesau, and Karl Barth, the paper contains discussions of aesthetic taste, art in relation to global capitalism, and the "Christian music" industry. It offers a practical analysis of missteps commonly made by clergy and laypeople in trying to identify the spiritual and/or theological value of musical and artistic works, and suggests alternative methods of interpretation and discernment. Download
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This paper contains a soundtrack, which you can access on Spotify by clicking here.
Masters Thesis
"This is how you do it: you sit down at
the keyboard and you put one word after another
until it is done. It's that easy, and that hard."
-Neil Gaiman
Conference Papers
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"Artist as Prophet, Priest, and Holy Fool: Re-Thinking the Role of Artists in the Church"
Presented at Shaped by Beauty: Music, Art, Theology, Ethics, and Spirituality in Conversation
Heythrop College, London - June 2014
This paper explores the vocation of artists in the life of the church, invoking Eusebius' image of Jesus' "threefold ministry" as a way of revealing how "secular" artists and musicians have embodied, subverted, and transformed Christian discipleship through the arts, in ways that are sometimes irreverent but ultimately faithful. Drawing on the work of theologians such as Karl Rahner, Paul Tillich, and Frank Burch Brown, this paper offers suggestions for how the church can provide better support for the vocation of artists both within and beyond its membership. Download
Presented at Knowledge in Medieval and Early Modern Europe Conference
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - April 2014
This paper offers a nuanced evaluation of the role of sight in the religious cultures of late medieval Europe, through an analysis of beliefs and practices like the evil eye, "ocular communion," and reverence for relics and icons. The purpose of this study is to better identify and interpret the changes that took place in the nature of seeing during the Reformation and into the early modern period. This paper includes an analysis of the medieval understanding of optics, and challenges the notion that "ocularcentrism" was a unique outcome of the so-called "Enlightenment." Download
"Early Church Music and Songs of Devils"
Presented at Sophia Institute Center for Orthodox Thought & Culture Annual Conference
Union Theological Seminary, New York City - December 2011
The writings of the early church fathers, including Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom, and Augustine of Hippo, provide us with most of the extant sources about music in the early church, through biblical commentaries, letters, and homilies. Many of these writings contain strong polemics against certain types of instruments and forms musical expression, which are commonly misinterpreted as representing a wholesale rejection of "secular" music. This paper analyzes these statements from within in their historical context to reveal the influence of Greek thought and Greco-Roman culture on the musical practices and opinions of the early church fathers, challenging the notion that the "songs of devils" were always identified with secular music. This paper challenges the parameters of what can be considered "sacred music" in the early church. Download
Online Articles
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Apocalypse Now: Seeing with 2020 Vision
Reflection on 2 Peter 3:8-15a
Modern Metanoia, November 23, 2020
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Sighs Too Deep: On the Spiritual Value of Anger, Sadness, and Fear
Reflection on Romans 8:26-39
Modern Metanoia, July 13, 2020
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Downward Mobility: Reframing the Direction of Success
Reflection on Luke 19:1-10
Caminando with Jesus, November 3, 2019
April Fool's: Finding Humor in the Resurrection Story
Reflection on Mark 16:1-8
Modern Metanoia, April 1, 2018
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Reflection on Mark 10:2-16
Modern Metanoia, September 24, 2018
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Servant Leadership: A Reflection for Maundy Thursday
Reflection on John 13:1-17; 31b-35
Modern Metanoia, April 3, 2017
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Reflection on Luke 17:11-23
Modern Metanoia, September 26, 2016
Featured Sermons
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Eve, Adam, and The Root of Sin
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-17 & Matthew 4:1-11
The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Asheboro, NC
March 3, 2020
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Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-25
Faith Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, NC
February 26, 2017
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Moses, the Burning Bush, and Becoming Who You Are
Exodus 3:1-15
St. Mark's in the Bowery Episcopal Church, NYC
March 3, 2013
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Other Academic Papers
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Mary Wept: Gender & Power in the Gospel of Mary
Gospel of Mary chapters 5 & 10
December 2013
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Sounds as Symbols in Archetypal Studies
Carl Jung, Semantics, Musical Meaning, Music Therapy
December 2012
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Musical Theology of Hildegard of Bingen & Martin Luther: A Comparison
Medieval Church History, Music, Theology
March 2012
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From 2011-2014, I worked as an Assistant Archivist for Columbia University Libraries at the Burke Theological Library, where I preserved and processed historical documents obtained in the acquisition of New York City's Missionary Research Library, which closed in the 1960s. These primary documents contain valuable first-hand accounts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that are critical for understanding Christian missionary work and Western colonization during this era. These documents also shed light on the criticisms and cultural factors that led to the abandonment of missionary projects by most mainline denominations during the latter part of the 20th century. The following are some of the collections that I processed, and the library research finding aids that I compiled and wrote:
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National Council of Churches Records, 1943-1973
Columbia University Libraries
Vatican II Ecumenical Council Records, 1962-1980
Columbia University Libraries
Laymen's Foreign Missions Inquiry Records, 1879-1940
Columbia University Libraries
Badi'u'llah and Muhammad Ali Baha'i Papers, 1901-1944
Columbia University Libraries
Personnel Policies of Foreign Mission Boards Records, 1955
Columbia University Libraries
William Wilberforce Chapin Papers, 1860-1865
Columbia University Libraries
Robert Ernest Hum Papers, 1817
Columbia University Libraries
Columbia University Libraries
Frank C. Laubach Papers, 1924-1952
Columbia University Libraries
Columbia University Libraries
Bertha E. Davis Papers, 1892-1946
Columbia University Libraries
Reginald Humphrey Helfferich Papers, 1832-1981
Columbia University Libraries
Robert C. Dodds Papers, 1962-1974
Columbia University Libraries
Library Archives: NYC Missionary Research Library