Overview
Religion, history, and culture of Christian communities in the Middle East, from Late Antiquity to the present day. Most of my work relates to the Syriac (i.e., Aramaic) Christian tradition, but I am also interested in Armenian, Coptic, Arabic, and Ethiopic Christianity.
Additional research interests, which also inform my teaching, include: (1) Aramaic languages and literatures (as used by Jews, Christians, Mandaeans, and Samaritans); (2) the interaction between Judaism and Christianity throughout history.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies
·
2016 - Present
Religious Studies,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
The Church of the Virgin in Dayr al-Suryān (Wadi al-Natrun)
Chapter · October 17, 2024 Full text CiteEarly Christianity in the Near East
Chapter · January 1, 2021 The phrase Christianity and Empire conjures up the perennial relationship between Christian belief and structures of power that has been responsible for Christianity's political hegemony in a series of empires. This chapter deals with expressions of Christ ... Full text CitePrayer and worship in Eastern Christianities, 5th to nth centuries
Journal Article TIJDSCHRIFT VOOR GESCHIEDENIS · 2018 CiteEducation, Training & Certifications
Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) ·
1976
Ph.D.