Meet Our Students

JDP Current Students

• Deeptangshu Das
  

  Born in the hilly and rainy state of Assam in north-east India, Deeptangshu Das (he/him) completed his BA, MA and M.Phil in English literature from the University of Delhi, India. He has taught at Vivekananda College (University of Delhi) from 2013-17 and at Dibrugarh University (Assam) since July 2017 as Assistant Professor (currently on Study Leave). His primary research interests include the ‘Study of the Representation of Hindu Goddesses in Literary and Popular Visual Cultures’, Gender Studies, and Cultural Studies.
  
  Email: deeptangshudas@gmail.com 

• Clarence W. Davis
  

  I am passionate about my dissertation topic - urban poverty and theology. I am a former Baptist pastor, having served the Church for 15 years as pastor and 15 as an associate pastor. I love my hometown, Detroit! 

  I am also in the early stages of starting a non-profit organization called, the Anti-Poverty League. The Anti-Poverty League focuses on the needs of the working poor, particularly ages 19-24, and 50-65.

  
  Email: Clarence.davis@du.edu 

• Kevin Grane
  

  Mr. Grane most recently received his Masters in Religious Studies with an emphasis in Critical Theory from the University of Denver in 2023. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor's in religious studies in 2021. During this time, he studied at the University of Edinburgh School of Divinity as well as serving two summer terms at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Areas of study include comparative lived religion and critical theory of religion. Kevin is a licensed pastor currently serving at a non-denominational protestant church.
  
  Publication:
  “Evolution of Gender Hierarchy in Western Protestantism.” Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory; a Whitestone publication. Spring 2023.
  
  Academic Presentation:
  “Cherubim in Antiquity: A Test Case in Greco-Christian Dialogue.” American Academy of Religion, Rocky Mountain Regional, 2022.
  
  Email:
  kev.grane@du.edu

• Matthew Gruchow
  

  Former newspaper and magazine journalist turned critical care paramedic. I hold a master's degree in Theology and History, and am pursuing my Ph.D. to focus on the intersections of science in religion, (especially space), particularly around psychedelics, rites/rituals, and new religious movements. I have taught college English, Composition, News Reporting and Writing, Intro to Philosophy and was a GTA for Media Ethics with Dr. Lynn Schofield-Clark.

  
  Academic Presentations:

  • "Psychedelic Christianity: A Case for the Use of Entheogens by Modern Christians for Pastoral Care and Personal Spirituality." AAR/SBL Rocky Mountain Regional Conference, March 24, 2023.
     

  Email: matthew.gruchow@edu.edu 

• Amanda Henderson
  

  Amanda Henderson (she/her) is a student in the Joint Doctoral Program, currently writing her dissertation titled, “Paradoxes of Progressive Politics: American Colonialism and Political Discourse, as seen in the Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965.” Amanda is also the Director of the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture at the Iliff School of Theology. The Institute performs research on the ways religious histories inform political perspectives and shares that information to educate public leaders for transformative action. Before launching the Institute, Amanda served seven years as Executive Director of The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, bringing people from different religious traditions together for political action. Amanda is the author of Holy Chaos, Creating Connections in Divisive Times, and host of the Complexified podcast. Personally, Amanda lives in Littleton, CO, is Mom to three young adults, enjoys adventures with her husband, and finds joy running trails, and growing things: dogs, chickens, gardens, and creative projects of all kinds.
  
  Publications:
  Henderson, Amanda. Holy Chaos: Creating Connections in Divisive Times. Saint Louis, Missouri: Chalice Press, 2020.
  
  Academic Presentations:

  • “Catastrophe of Catastrophes, Religion and Homelessness in Denver,” Annual Meeting, American Academy of Religion, Denver, Colorado, November 19, 2022.
  • “Religion and Politics: Facing the Forbidden Topics,” University of Denver Enrichment Program, online, October 11, 2021.
  • “Panel: Interfaith Dialogue in Denver, Colorado,” Parliament of World Religions, Toronto, Canada, November 4, 2018.

  
  Awards:

  • Ally Award, One Colorado, 2022.
  • Disrupters: 15 People Who Are Changing Denver, 5280 Magazine, 2019.
  • Intercultural Champion Award, The Spring Institute, Denver Colorado, 2017.
  • Beatitudes Fellow, Beatitudes Society, Berkeley, California, 2012-2013.
  • Granville Walker Preaching Award, Brite Divinity School, 2012.
  • Faculty Book Award, Religion and Ethics, Brite Divinity School, 2012
  • Faculty Book Award, World Religions, Brite Divinity School, 2012

  
  Email: amhenderson@iliff.edu 

• Rebecca M. David Hensley
  

  Rebecca M. David Hensley is a doctoral candidate in the JDP, ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, and adjunct instructor for Iliff School of Theology. She also serves as the United Methodist Deacon Mentor for Iliff. Her research interests center on the intersections of Critical Race/Critical Whiteness Studies, liberative women's theologies, and social ethics. Her dissertation is titled "Striving Toward Racial Solidarity in a Culture of White Christianity: Multi-Race + Multi-Faith Organizing in Texas." She holds a B.A. in Religious Education from Oklahoma City University and M.T.S. and Th.M. degrees from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. A member of the American Academy of Religion, Rebecca has presented at several regional and national academic conferences, as well as regional and national church-affiliated programs.
  
  Publications:

  • “Off the Grid: Climate Change, Immigration, and POWER in Texas.” In Displacement Climes: Shifting Climates – Shifting People, edited by Miguel A. De La Torre. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press, forthcoming in 2022.
  • “Comrades of the Kin-Dom: A Faithful Response to ‘Zero Tolerance.” In Preaching In/And the Borderlands, edited by Charles L. Aaron and J. Dwayne Howell. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2020.
  • “Is This the Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy? Misogyny, Pornography, and a Feminist Ethic of Erotic Justice.” Journal of Theta Alpha Kappa 44, no. 2 (Fall 2020): 17-30.
  • “Gendering Immigration.” In Engage, Princeton Theological Seminary’s Institute for Youth Ministry’s online magazine (May 2019).
  • "Divorce." In The CEB Women’s Bible, edited by Jaime Clark-Soles, Judy Fentress-Williams, Ginger Gaines-Cirelli, Christine Chakoian, and Rachel Baughman. Nashville: Common English Bible/Abingdon, 2016.
  • "Justice." In The CEB Women’s Bible, edited by Jaime Clark-Soles, Judy Fentress-Williams, Ginger Gaines-Cirelli, Christine Chakoian, and Rachel Baughman. Nashville: Common English Bible/Abingdon, 2016.
  • "Lot's Daughters: Products of an Immoral Society, Victims of Daddy's Bad Decisions, or Cunning Tricksters Providing for Their Own Future." In Perkins Student Journal, 12 (2011).

  
  Academic Presentations:

  • "Gloria Anzaldua Revisited: The Borderlands of Identity, Politics, and Spatial Theory." Panel Coordinator. American Academy of Religion, Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Regional Meeting. March 25-26, 2022.
  • "Expanding Borderlands: A Necropolitical Deathscape." American Academy of Religion, Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Regional Meeting. March 25-26, 2022.
  • “Demonic Grounds or Living Water: The Crisis at the U.S.-Mexico Border." American Academy of Religion, National Annual Meeting. November 20-23, 2021.
  • “Off the Grid: Climate Change, Immigration, and POWER in Texas.” Shifting Climates – Shifting People conference hosted by The Center for EcoJustice at Iliff School of Theology. October 21-22, 2021.
  • “Demonic Grounds or Living Water: The Crisis at the U.S.-Mexico Border." American Academy of Religion, Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Regional Meeting. March 20, 2021.
  • “Demonic Grounds or Living Water: The Crisis at the U.S.-Mexico Border.” Defining Justice in an Age of Turmoil eConference hosted by The University of Denver & Iliff School of Theology’s Joint Doctoral Program in Religion. February 20, 2021.
  • “Border Stories: Texas Faith Communities Responding to a Global Crisis on the Local Level.” American Academy of Religion, Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Regional Meeting. March 27-28, 2020 (cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic).
  • “Gendering Immigration: A Liberative Feminist Hermeneutic for Border Crossing.” American Academy of Religion, National Annual Meeting. November 23-26, 2019.
  • “Gendering Immigration: A Liberative Feminist Hermeneutic for Border Crossing.” American Academy of Religion, Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Regional Meeting. March 29-30, 2019. 

  
  Fellowships:

  • Rosalie Bentzinger Scholarship, United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, 2020-2021
  • Graduate Student Association Professional Development Grant, University of Denver, 2020
  • United Methodist General Scholarship, 2018-2019
  • Doctoral Fellowship, University of Denver, 2018-2019

  
  Awards:
  Theta Alpha Kappa Albert Clark Award Runner-Up, Graduate Level, 2019
  
  Email: rhensley@iliff.edu 

• Wake Gerbi Jeo
  

  Wake Gerbi Jeo was born in Oromia regional state in Ethiopia and later moved to Norway. He is a pastor from the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus. He moved to Denver in 2023 to study for his Ph.D. in the Study of Religion at the University of Denver/Iliff School of Theology. His research experiences and interests are Moral Philosophy, African/Oromo Philosophy, Liberation Theology, Political Theology, Public Theology, Self-determination Theology, Systematic Theology, Theology of Peace, Theology of Reconciliation, Theology from Below, Study of Religion, History of Religions, Diaspora Religion, Comparative Religion, International Relations, International Law (focusing on Self-determination and Secession, and Human Rights), Race, Nationalism, Traditional Justice System, Just War Theory, Political Process Theory, and Social Movement Theory.  
  
  He earned MSc in International Relations from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in 2022, Norway; MPhil in History of Religions from the Norwegian Specialised School of Theology, Religion and Society in 2022, Norway; MPhil in Contextual Theology from the University of Oslo in 2018, Norway; MPhil in Religion, Society and Global Issues from the Norwegian Specialized School of Theology, Religion and Society in 2016, Norway; MA in Theology from the Norwegian Specialised School of Theology, Religion and Society in 2015, Norway; BTh from the Mekane Yesus Seminary in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2008.
  
  Publications:
  Books

  • Jeo, Wake Gerbi (2020). Theology of Struggle: Oromo Liberation Theology. Stockholm: Foorfattares Bok Maskin Press.
  • Jeo, Wake Gerbi (2016). Religion and Politics in the Horn of Africa: Evangelical Christianity and Politics in the Context of Oromo People in Ethiopia. Stockholm: Foorfattares Bok Maskin Press.
  • Forthcoming book in 2024 The Politics of Decolonization: Self-Determination Theology and the Eschaton of Ethiopian Imperialism. Stockholm: Foorfattares Bok Maskin Press.

  
  Articles

  • Jeo,Wake Gerbi (2019). “African Philosophy on the Way: Theorizing Oromo Philosophy and Theology of Land (Lafi keenya lafee keenya, our Land is our bones),” in International Journal of Current Research. Vol. 11. Issue 11. pp. 8021-8038.
  • Jeo, Wake Gerbi (2018). “Theorizing Namummaa: Oromo Relational Philosophy (Oromo’s gift to the World), in African Journal of History and Culture. Vol. 10 (7), PP. 77-97.
  • Jeo, Wake Gerbi (2017). “Introduction of Evangelical Christianity in Oromia: the five majors Expeditions,” in African Journal of History and Culture. vol.9 (4), PP. 34-40.

  
  Academic Presentations:
  He presented papers on religions (Christianity, Islam, and African Indigenous Religions), human rights, theology (systematic, contextual, and comparative theology), Conflict, Peace and Reconciliation Studies, and African/Oromo Philosophy.
  
  Fellowships:
  JDP Scholarship and PhD Outstanding Award from DU in 2023-2026
  
  Email:
  Wake.Gerbi@du.edu 

• Zane Johnson
  

  Zane is a first-year JDP student. He received his MA in English literature from the University of Munich, where he studied early modern English literature, religion, literary translation, and the environmental humanities. He plans to continue to work at the intersection of religion, the body, and the environment in the JDP. He writes the Substack newsletter "Death Metal Theology".
  
  Publications:

  • "George Herbert's Dialectic of Renunciation," George Herbert Journal 44 (2023): 84-98.
  • "The French Connection: Louis Claude de Saint-Martin and the Martinist Tradition," Quest: A Journal of the Theosophical Society in America 111, no. 3 (2023): 38-40.
  • "'My God, in Fire': The Poetry of Henry Vaughan," Jesus the Imagination 6 (2022): 77-85.
  • "'All things unto our flesh are kind': Corporeality and Ecology in The Temple," George Herbert Journal 42, no. 1 & 2 (2018/2019): 128-145.
  • "Starhawk, Henry Vaughan, and the Environmental Imagination," Seeing the Woods: A Blog by the Rachel Carson Center, November 18, 2020.

  
  Academic Presentations:

  • "The Poetics of Renunciation in The Temple," Sixth Triennial Conference of the George Herbert Society hosted by the University of Cambridge. June 26, 2022.
  • "The Forest and the Translated World: History, Agency, and the Mangrove in The Hungry Tide," Ecocriticism Vernissage hosted by the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. February 15, 2019.

  
  Email: zane.johnson@du.edu 

• David Kemp

   

  

  David Kemp (they/them and he/him) focuses their scholarship on using decolonial and liberationist perspectives to critically analyze the intersections of LGBTQ+ issues, Christian Ethics, and U.S. culture and politics. He received a Bachelor of Science in Global and Multicultural Issues from Texas A&M University – Commerce (TAMU-C) in 2018 and a Master of Theological Studies with a Social Justice and Religion Concentration at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in 2021.

  Since 2019, David has been active with multiple grassroots mutual aid organizations across Texas and Colorado where they help plan and attend outreach to houseless communities, social justice marches, and other direct-action events. He has been involved with multiple higher education efforts to improve social justice on university campuses. Including the President’s Special Committee on Campus Trans-Inclusivity and Biannual Mental Health Matters Day at TAMU-C, support and outreach to vulnerable students during COVID-19 at SMU, and currently David works with various departments to help them better consider the unique needs of nonwhite and international LGBTQ+ students. David works at the University of Denver Libraries Research Center and takes Graduate Teaching opportunities when available. David is also a Certified Candidate for Ordination as an Elder in the United Methodist Church. During downtime, they enjoy video games, trying new restaurants, and visiting friends.
  
  Publications:
  David Kemp, Margo McCutcheon, and Katherine Kuehler Walters, “Reynolds, Mary Vaughn,” Handbook of Texas Online, April 25, 2019. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/reynolds-mary-vaughn.
  
  Academic Presentations:

  • “Embracing Antireal Gender Ontology: Working to Liberate the Body from Religion” for the Body and Religion Unit, American Academy of Religion, 2023. 
  • “Heterobinary-Panopticism: How Queerness Reveals the Disciplining of Identity” for the Foucault and the Study of Religion Seminar, American Academy of Religion, 2023.
  • “Considering Intersectional International Identities for LGBTQ+ Campus Outreach” for the University of Denver Internationalization Summit, 2023.
  • “Ethics of Identity: Exploring Antireal Gender Ontology” for the Society of Christian Ethics Annual Meeting, 2024.

  
  Fellowships:

  • JDP Silver Scholarship, University of Denver, 2022 - Present
  • General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Scholarship, United Methodist Church, 2017 - Present
  • Mel and Dorothy Lew Scholarship, Wesley United Methodist Church, Greenville, TX, 2023 - 2024
  • M.A.S.T. “Minister, Author, Scholar, Teacher” Honors Fellowship, Southern Methodist University/Perkins School of Theology, 2019 - 2021
  • Perkins Scholar, Southern Methodist University/Perkins School of Theology, 2019 - 2021
  • North Texas Conference Scholarship, United Methodist Church, 2018 - 2021
  • Global Scholar Distinction, Texas A&M University - Commerce, 2016 - 2018.

  
  Awards:

  • Summa Cum Laude, Southern Methodist University, 2021
  • Magna Cum Laude, Texas A&M University - Commerce, 2018
  • NELA Award for exceptional leadership skills, National Society of Leadership and Success, 2016

  
  Email: david.kemp@du.edu

• Sho McClarence
  

  Sho McClarence (They/Them, et en Francais Iel/Li) is a current Ph.D. student at the University of Denver and Iliff Theology School. They received their Associate’s in Arts from Joliet Junior College, their Bachelor’s in History from Monmouth College, and their Master’s of Interdisciplinary Studies with specializations in Philosophy, History, and Environmental Arts and Humanities from Oregon State University. Sho studies at the intersection of Queer Theory, Visual Arts, and Mystical Experience. Sho is an affiliate faculty member at Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado, serving in the Art History department and an adjunct faculty member in the Philosophy and Religion Department at Arapahoe Community College. Sho is also an abstract painter with 11 years of experience teaching at art studios and guest lecturing in Universities. In addition to teaching, Sho works as a staff member at the University of Denver Libraries in the Access Services Department. Alongside their scholarship, Sho is an activist working on Transgender rights. Sho is one of the founding members of the Mid-Willamette Transgender Support Network nonprofit that operates in Corvallis, Oregon. You can find Sho presenting papers and workshops about creating inclusive living and working environments at conferences and universities across the country.
  
  Academic Presentations:

  • 2022 November “TransAntagonism”, AAR National Conference, Denver, CO.
  • 2021 March "Existentialism and Mysticism: Bridging the Divide Between the Individual and the Interconnectivity", Kent State Philosophy Graduate Student Conference, Virtual.
  • 2021 March "The First Brick Thrown: Myth and Materiality Through the Stonewall Riots", AAR Rocky Mountain- Great Plains Regional Conference, Virtual.
  • 2021 January “The Limits of Freedom: Intersectional Constraints Toward a Peaceful Life”, Concerned Philosophers for Peace, Virtual.
  • 2020 December “The Mystical in the Mundane”, Association for Jewish Studies 52nd Annual Conference, Virtual.
  • 2020 December "The First Brick Thrown: Myth and Materiality Through the Stonewall Riots", Myth, Histories, and Hauntings Queer Studies, American Academy of Religion Annual Conference, Virtual.
  • 2020 July “Creating Inclusive Spaces in Higher Education”, Colorado Association of Libraries, Power & Privilege at Play: Equity, Diversity, & Inclusivity in the Library eConference.
  • 2020 May “Creating Inclusive Spaces in Higher Education”, Butler Learning and Sharing Session Spring, The University of Denver, Denver, CO.
  • 2020 March “Creating Inclusive Spaces for Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals”, Trans-Day of Visibility, The University of Denver, Denver, CO.
  • 2020 March “The First Brick Thrown: Myth and Materiality through the Stonewall Riots”, AAR Rocky Mountain- Great Plains Regional Conference, Colorado Springs, CO.
  • 2020 January “Creating Inclusive Spaces for Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals”, Diversity Summit, The University of Denver, Denver, CO.
  • 2019 May “Mysticism and the Vacuum”, Phish Studies Conference, Corvallis, OR- Student Presenter 2019 May “Creating Inclusive Spaces”, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.
  • 2019 April “Creating Inclusive Spaces”, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.
  • 2019 February “Creating Inclusive Spaces”, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.
  • 2018 November “Creating an Affirming Environment for Trans Students and Colleagues”, Corvallis, OR.
  • 2018 October “Existentialism and Phish”, Phish and Philosophy, Las Vegas, NV.
  • 2018 April “Religion and Mysticism: A Genealogy”, Pacific Northwest Religious Studies Conference, Corvallis, OR.
  • 2017 March “Creating Inclusive Spaces”, 2nd Annual Women’s Equality Conference, Monmouth, IL

  
  Fellowships:

  • 2020- 2022 Joint Dual Program in Religious Studies Inclusive Engagement Fellowship
  • 2021 Shotpouch Collaborative Residency - Topic: Sacred Space and Mysticism
  • 2019- 2022 Fellowship for the Joint Dual Religious Studies Program at The University of Denver and Iliff Theology School
  • 2019 Hatfield Marine Science Artist Residency
  • 2019 Trillium Project: Art Residency
  • 2015-2017 Wallace Founders Scholarship
  • 2015-2017 Monmouth College Speech and Debate Scholarship
  • 2015-2017 Monmouth College Sustainability Scholarship
  • 2015-2017 Monmouth College Visual Arts Scholarship
  • 2016 F. Gavin and Katye L. Davenport Memorial Scholarship
  • 2015 SOfIA Project Summer Fellowship
  • 2014 Joliet Junior College Academic Excellency Scholarship

  
  Awards:

  • 2019 Marilyn Gorski Award for Excellence, Integrity, and Outstanding Contributions to Oregon State University
  • 2019 Matchette Award for Outstanding Graduate Essay in Philosophy
  • 2018 Hundere Excellence in Graduate Religious Studies Writing Award Exhibitions
  • 2019-2020 Visual Oceanography Exhibition, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR
  • 2018 December Montage Juried Show, Fairbanks Gallery, Corvallis, OR
  • 2018 July 13th Annual Community Art Exhibition, Giustina Gallery, Corvallis, OR
  • 2018 May Art Saves Lives Exhibition, The Arts Center, Corvallis, OR
  • 2018 March Our Energy, Our Planet, Our Future, Giustina Gallery, Corvallis, OR
  • 2017- 2018 Monmouth Alumni Art Show, Wallace Hall, Monmouth, IL
  • 2017 August OSU150 Space Grant Art Exhibition, Giustina Gallery, Corvallis, OR
  • 2017 April-May Thou and I, Solo Exhibition, Fusion Theatre, Monmouth, IL
  • 2017 March Art Alliance Student Juried Art Exhibition, Fusion Theatre, Monmouth, IL, Best in Painting
  • 2017 February Black Lives Matter Exhibition, Len G. Everett Gallery 203, Monmouth, IL
  • 2017 January Monmouth College Juried Student Art Exhibition, Len G. Everett Gallery 204, Monmouth, IL
  • 2016 December Under the Influence: Art Exhibition, Len G. Everett Gallery 204, Monmouth, IL
  • 2016 July Buchanan Center for the Arts Photography Exhibition, Buchanan Center for the Arts, Monmouth, IL
  • 2016 March Art Alliance Student Juried Art Exhibition, Fusion Theatre, Monmouth, IL, Best in Sculpture
  • 2015 August SOfIArt(ifacts), Len G. Everett Gallery 204, Monmouth, IL
  • 2014 April Joliet Junior College Student Showcase, Laura A. Sprague Art Gallery, Joliet, IL Exhibitions Juried
  • 2017 March 49th Annual Town and Country Art Show, Buchanan Center for the Arts, Monmouth, IL Exhibitions Curated
  • 2019 October Visual Oceanography Exhibition, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR
  • 2017 February Black Lives Matter Exhibition, Len G. Everett Gallery 203, Monmouth, IL
  • 2016 September Antiquity: The Permanent Collection, Len G. Everett Gallery 203, Monmouth, IL

  
  Email: Sho.Mcclarence@du.edu  

• Kimberly Melgoza
  

  Kimberly Melgoza grew up in Los Angeles, CA. She then graduated with a B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Southern California in 2021. Melgoza received a M.A. in Religion at Yale Divinity School in 2023 where she emphasized in Latinx and Latin American Christianity. Fall 2023 will be the beginning of Melgoza’s PhD in Religion at the University of Denver, in which she is doing a Joint Doctoral Program with Iliff School of Theology. Melgoza’s research focuses on indigenous communities in Mexico, specifically those that use hallucinogenic mushrooms religiously.
  
  Fellowship:
  Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship 2020
  
  Email:
  kimberly.melgoza@du.edu  
• Robert Monson
  

  Robert is a writer, musician, runner, and theologian committed to speaking about softness in an age bent towards cruelty. He hosts two podcasts "Black Coffee and Theology" as well as "Three Black Men" and is a co-director of a nonprofit organization, Enfleshed. His master's work centered around the intersection of Black Liberation Theology and Womanist Theology.
  
  Publications:
  Working on a book entitled "the Bible and Violence" as well as another one centered around Christian Nationalism, Theology, and Racism (title forthcoming)
  
  Academic Presentations:
  Two time presenter at AAR National conference as well as once at the Southwest Regional
  
  Fellowship:
  Doctoral Fellowship at DU
  
  Awards:
  Dayton Merit Scholar, Walter F. Kuentzel Award for Perfect New Testament Scholarship
  
  Email:
  robert.monson@du.edu 

• Grego Peña-Camprubí 
  

  Hola! My name is Grego Peña-Camprubí (he/him/él). I’m originally from Barcelona (Spain). I’m currently studying a PhD in Religion, with an emphasis in Anthropology. In my research, I look at the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ Catholics in Spain – where I pay a close look on how gender, sexual, ethnic, and religious identities intersect and are (re)constructed.
  
  Academic Presentations:

  • Siempre quedó VOX: Spanish National-Catholicism and the Far-Right of the 21st Century -- Rocky   Mountain Great Plains (RMGP) Regional Meeting. Nationalism and Conspiracy Unit (March 2023).
  • Congregational Life in the Time of Pandemic: Preliminary Results from Denver Case Studies -- 2022 AAR Annual Conference. Religion and the Social Sciences Unit and Sociology of Religion Unit (November 2022).
  • Methodological Workshop: Positionalities and Auto-Archaeologies.
  • "Defining Justice in an Age of Turmoil" – eConference. University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology. Denver (CO) (February 2021).

  
  Fellowships:

  • 2023 Graduate Research Assistant for the Association of Theological Schools of the United States of America and Canada.
  • 2022 Graduate Research Assistant for the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations: Innovation Amidst and Beyond COVID-19”
  • 2022 Capitol Fellow for Colorado House Representative Alex Valdez at the Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy Research Organization (CLLARO).

  
  Awards:

  • 2020 Frieda Sanidas Leason and Bernard V. Leason European Union Scholarship Award.

  
  Email: grego.penacamprubi@du.edu 

• Rudolph Reyes II
  

  Rudolph Reyes II is a doctoral candidate in the JDP. His dissertation is titled, “Divergence: Towards a Neurodivergent Latinx Liberative Social Ethic.” Reyes specializes in social ethics, Latinx studies, and disability studies. He received his B.A. in Religious Studies from Arizona State University and his M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School.

  Reyes is a member of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), the Society for Disability Studies, and the Society of Christian Ethics. He has served on the Religion and Disability Studies Unit steering committee for AAR, an organizing team for the Intersectional Neurodiversity Reading Group London (UK), and the dean’s task force at the University of Denver, Iliff School of Theology.
  
  Publications:
  Book Chapter
  Reyes, Rudolph P., II. “Beyond the Prophetic Temptation of Ecological Disgust.” In Gonna Trouble the Waters: Ecojustice, Water, and Environmental Racism, ed. by Miguel De La Torre, 87-95, Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2021.
  
  Book Review

  • Reyes, Rudolph P., II. "Review of Autism and the Church: Bible, Theology, and Community by Grant Macaskill." Disability Studies Quarterly 41, no. 1 (2021): Disability Studies Quarterly, 2021-03-1, Vol.41 (1).  https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/7887/5876 

  • The Routledge Handbook of Religious Naturalism, ed., Donald A. Crosby, Jerome A. Stone. Reading Religion (2018) http://readingreligion.org/books/routledge-handbook-religious-naturalism  

  
  Academic Presentations:

  • The Need for Neurodivergent Latinx Liberation” American Academy of Religion, November 20-23, 2021
  • “ADHD Latinxs as nepantleras: Embracing multiple worlds” Intersectional Approaches to Race and Disability Webinar, July 9, 2021
  • “Spiritual Activism: Neurodivergent Latinxs as Nepantleras” Society for Disability Studies, April 17-20, 2021
  • “Naming the Oppression of Neurodivergent Latinxs” Defining Justice in an Age of Turmoil eConference, February 20, 2021
  • “Moving Beyond Ecological Disgust: Disabled People of Color, Environmental Racism, and Water Pollution” Eco-Justice Conference, October 24-26, 2019
  • “Have the Mind of Christ: Notes Towards a Mad Christology” Rocky Mountain Regional AAR, March 29-30, 2019
  • “A Brown Reflection: Belief, Materiality, and Two Guadalupe Statues,” Ways of Knowing Conference, Oct. 26-27, 2018

  
  Fellowships:

  • JDP Dissertation Fellowship, University of Denver/Iliff School of Theology, 2021
  • Doctoral Fellowship, University of Denver, 2021
  • Doctoral Fellowship, The Forum for Theological Exploration, 2020-2021
  • Doctoral Fellowship for Inclusive Excellence, University of Denver 2017-2018

  
  Email: rudy.reyes@du.edu 

• Hesron H. Sihombing
  

  Hesron H. Sihombing (he/him/dia) graduated from Abdi Sabda Theological Seminary Medan, Indonesia, in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in theology. He pursued his studies at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago to earn Master of Arts in Theological Studies in 2019 and is currently doing his doctoral studies at JDP. His main interests are theological ethics and the relationships between religion and politics, to look at the intersection of the economy and ecology. He is also interested in postcolonial and decolonial studies, public theology, liberative ethics, and Asian/Asian-American studies. Originally from Indonesia, Hesron and his family live in Denver, Colorado.

  
  Publications:

  • Sihombing, Hesron H. "The Batak-Christian Theology of Land: Towards a Postcolonial Comparative Theology." CrossCurrents 73, no. 1 (2023): 42-63. 10.1353/cro.2023.0003
  • Book Chapter - Sihombing, Hesron H. “Spiritualitas Ekologis yang Membebaskan: Memikirkan Ulang Spiritualitas dalam Kerangka Hubungan Ekologis” in Teologi Spiritualitas: Gagasan dan Eksplorasi Teologi Spiritualitas Warisan Jaharianson Saragih, eds. Erwan Ar. Saragih, Parulihan Sipayung, Juna Daniel Saragih, 107–118 (Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia), 2022.
  • Sihombing, H. "Luther’s Understanding of the Presence of God in Creation: Toward a Lutheran Eco-Theology." SUNDERMANN: Jurnal Ilmiah Teologi, Pendidikan, Sains, Humaniora Dan Kebudayaan, Volume 15 (1) (2022): 41-52. https://jurnal.sttsundermann.ac.id/index.php/sundermann/article/view/85
  • Sihombing, Hesron. “Capitalism and the Ecological Crisis: The Spirituality of Voluntary Sacrifice,” International Journal of Public Theology 15, 3 (2021): 329-348, doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/15697320-01530003
  • Sihombing, Hesron. “The Relational God in the Presence of Evil: A Theology of Friendship,” Siwó: Revista de Teología/Revista de Estudios Socioreligiosos, Vol. 13 Number 1 (2020), 67–79, https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/siwo/article/view/14702
  • Book Chapter - Sihombing, Hesron. “Kesadaran Diri Yesus sebagai Jalan dan Kebenaran dan Hidup Menurut Yohanes 14:1–14 dan Relevansinya terhadap Misi Gereja di Abad XXI: Suatu Eksegese Sosial-Saintifik” in Buku Kenangan dan Syukuran 20 Tahun Kependetaan Pdt. Dr. Jonriahman Sipayung 22 November 1992–22 November 2012, eds. Jonriahman Sipayung, Japoltak Sipayung, Kanser Saragih, and Serliani Sembiring, 206–36. (Medan: Bangun Raya), 2012.

  
  Academic Presentations:

  • “Practical Theology on Economic Justice: Insights from Indonesian Financial Institutions” Asian Practical Theology International Conference 2023 on Doing Practical Theology with Asian Resources: Retrospect and Prospect, online, Hong Kong, June 2-3, 2023. Presented.
  • “Digital Labor and Subjectivity in the Capitalocene: A Critique of Neoliberalism” 2022 National AAR-SBL Annual Meeting, Denver, November 20, 2022. Presented.
  • “The Impossibility of Dialogue? Ecumenical Ecumenism in the Context of Indonesian Deradicalization Works” Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, AAR Panikkar Symposium, November 18, 2022. Presented.
  • “The Phenomenology of Space: towards a Critical Phenomenology from Indigenous Perspective” Loyola University-Marquette University Phenomenology Conference, Chicago, November 4–6, 2022. Presented.
  • “Lived Religion in the Pandemic Time: Rethinking Digital Space as Public Sphere” British Association for the Study of Religions Annual (Hybrid) Conference, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK, August 30 – September 1, 2022. Presented.
  • “Decolonizing Customary Forests: The Struggle of Indigenous Groups for Land Rights in Indonesia” Christian Left Conference 2022, Emmanuel College, online, August 5-6, 2022. Presented.
  • “Decolonizing the History of Mission: An Indonesian-Lutheran Perspective” Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network’s 14^th International Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico. June 22-25, 2022. Presented.
  • “Trees, Economics, and Sustainability: An Iconic Materialist Reading of Batak Cosmology” 2022 Symposium of the Network of the Asian Environmental Philosophy, online, June 17-18, 2022. Presented.
  • “Digital Capitalism: Network and the Ethics of the Commons” Religion and Futurity: Elsewhere, Elsewhen and Beyond Conference, Department of Religious Studies at University of North Carolina, Charlotte, online, April 29, 2022. Presented.
  • “Oikos-Orientalism and the Formation of Homo Economicus in Contemporary Indonesia” 2022 Association for Asian American Studies Annual Conference, Denver, April 14-16, 2022. Presented.
  • “The Economy of the Effects of Grace” 2022 AAR-SBL Rocky Mountains – Great Plains Regional Conference, University of Denver, March 25-26, 2022. Presented.
  • “Performative Hopelessness and Public Space: Ecojustice Praxis in Indonesia” AAR-SBL Rocky Mountains – Great Plains Regional Conference, University of Denver, March 25-26, 2022. Presented.
  • Panel Discussion (Virtual) “Decolonizing Lutheranism” at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, April 2021. Presented.
  • “Luther’s Two Kingdoms Doctrine Revisited: A Liberative Dialogue of Religions” at the Consultation on Religion in Public Space by the Lutheran World Federation in Hong Kong, 2015. Presented.

  
  Fellowships: 
  DU Graduate Education Doctoral Fellowship for Inclusive Engagement, 2021-2023.
  
  Awards:
  The Bible and Lutheran Faith Prize, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, May 2018.

  Email: hesron.sihombing@du.edu 

• Madison Tarleton
  

  Madison Tarleton graduated from the College of Charleston Honors College in 2015 with a B.A. in Religious Studies and a minor in Jewish Studies. Madison is a 2017 graduate of the University of Denver's M.A. Program in Religious Studies and is hoping to graduate from the JDP program soon. When she's not teaching, Madison is a swim coach for the University of Denver's youth team, The Denver Hilltoppers. As a self-proclaimed do-er, Madison loves competing in triathlons, running, golfing, snowshoeing, and swimming. Colorado has been Madison's home since 2015 and she loves the connections, friends, and community she has found in Denver.
  
  Publications:

  • “How We Talk About Jewish Art in World Religions: A Pedagogical Perspective from a Small Liberal Arts College.” AJS Perspectives: The Art Issue. Forthcoming, Fall 2021.
  • Spaced and Placed: Hetero-‘topic’ Interpretations of the Warsaw Ghetto. The Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory, Fall 2019 (563-575).

  
  Digital Scholarship:

  • “Brew Halls and Baptismal Fonts: A Conversation with ‘The Church Brew Works’ Founder Sean Casey.” Sacred Matters Magazine, July 2019.
  • Published Syllabus, “Theories of Religion,” Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning Syllabus Collection, March 2019.
  • “The Devil’s in the Details: The Krampus Conundrum.” Sacred Matters Magazine, December 2018.
  • “The Body of Fried Chicken and the Blood of Bud Light.” Sacred Matters Magazine, October 2018. 
  • “A Conversation with Be Zero’s Andrea Sanders.” Sacred Matters Magazine, June 2018. 
  • “Celebrities Becoming New Focus of Religious Worship for “‘Non-Believing Believers,’” Esthesis, December 2016.

  
  Podcast Features:

  • “The Krampus Conundrum,” The Classical Ideas Podcast, available on Spotify & iTunes. Based on the digital publication for Sacred Matters Magazine.  

  
  Book Reviews:

  • Stroumsa, Sarah. Andalus and Sefarad: On Philosophy and Its History in Islamic Spain. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2019. Forthcoming.
  • Schachter, Ben. Image, Action, and Idea in Contemporary Jewish Art (Dimyonot). University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, December 2017. 
  • Cave, Peter, and Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Jews: Nearly Everything You Wanted to Know but Were Too Afraid to Ask. London, England: Equinox Publishing Limited, November 2018. 
  • Frederick, Marla. Colored Television: American Religion Gone Global. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, December 2015. 
  • Coats, Curtis, and Monica Emerich, eds. Practical Spiritualities in a Media Age. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015.
  • Rosen, Charley. The Chosen Game: A Jewish Basketball History. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, November 2017. 
  • Myers, David. Jewish History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, May 2017. 
  • McElligot, Anthony, and Jeffrey Herf, eds. Antisemitism Before and Since the Holocaust: Altered Contexts and Recent Perspectives. London, England: Palgrave  MacMillan, 2017

  
  Academic Presentations:

  • “An Exploration of Gavin Langmuir’s Theories of Rationality Using an Interdisciplinary Approach.” Religious Studies Research Conference. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Virtual Conference. April 10, 2021. Presented.
  • “#COVID1948” University of Denver/Iliff School of Theology Graduate Student Conference. Virtual Conference. February 20, 2021. Co-Presenter.
  • “Still Sanctified after Second Vatican Council: Simon of Trent’s Perpetual and Timeless Sanctification through Art” Sewanee Medieval Colloquium, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN, April 12-13, 2019. Presented. 
  • “Soul Food and Assimilatory Resistance: The African Hebrew Israelites Veganism and Resistance to Judaic Categories” AAR-SBL Rocky Mountain Plains Regional Conference, Creighton University, March 29-30, 2019. Accepted. 
  • “Beyification: The Dehumanization and Deification of Beyoncé.” Graduate Student Symposium. Florida State University, February 22-23, 2019. Accepted. 
  • “Kabbalah at Qumran: Sectarian Secrets of a Mystic Tradition” AAR-SBL Rocky Mountain Plains Regional Conference, Brigham Young University, March 16-18, 2017. Presented.
  • “Kabbalah at Qumran: Sectarian Secrets of a Mystic Tradition” DU Research and Performance Summit (DURAPS), University of Denver, Denver, CO, April 7, 2017. Presented.

  
  Fellowships:

  • 2021 Joint Doctoral Program Dissertation Award
  • 2021 Office of Graduate Education Dissertation Fellowship, University of Denver
  • 2021 Professional Development Grant, Ferrum College
  • 2020 Graduate Student Association Professional Development Grant
  • 2019 National Endowment for the Humanities Participant Stipend
  • 2019 Sewanee Medieval Colloquium Grant
  • 2017 Graduate Studies Doctoral Fellowship
  • 2016 University of Denver Religious Studies M.A. Research Grant

  
  Email: madisontarleton@gmail.com 

• Matthew Webber
  

  Matthew Webber is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) who was born and raised in Colorado. After attending Colorado State University, where he participated on the Track and Field team as a decathlete, he attended Princeton Theological Seminary, where he earned his Master of Divinity (M.Div.). Taking a call as Associate Pastor in Holland, MI, he continued his education, attending Calvin Theological Seminary, earning his Master of Theology (Th.M.) in Systematic Theology. Returning to Colorado, Matthew was the solo pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Timnath, CO, before stepping away to attend Colorado State University once more for his Master of Arts (M.A.) in Philosophy and Ethics, focusing on the ethical treatment of nonhuman animals. 

  Matthew and his wife Nicole live in Northern Colorado where Nicole is an Academic Librarian. They spend time reading, being outdoors, spending time on the family farm, and enjoying time with their cat Milo and their dog Huxley. 
  
  Publications:
  Book Chapters:

  • “A New Binary: Creator and Created” in The Handbook of Human Education, (forthcoming)
  • “Why Anticruelty Laws are Not Enough” in Animal Ethics and Animal Law (forthcoming)

  
  Book Reviews:

  • Faith for Earth: A Call for Action (Hales, David and Pedersen, Kusumita eds.) in the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics (forthcoming)
  • Akhtar, A. Our Symphony with Animals: On Health, Empathy, and Our Shared Destinies in the Journal of Animal Ethics, Fall 2020, vol. 10, no. 2

  
  Contributing Writer:

  • Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics Book Reviewer; 2020-Present
  • Journal of Animal Ethics Book Reviewer; 2018-Present
  • The Bonhoeffer Center Blog; 2015–2016

  
  Academic Presentations:

  • “Caveat Emptor: The Ethics of Responsible Information Consumption” Bodaken Philosophy Symposium Workshop: Living Together Online: Social Epistemology, Ethics, and the Internet. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO; October 15-16, 2019.
  • “A New Binary: Creator and Created” Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School: Humane Education Increasing Sensitivity to Animals and Humans. Oxford, England; July 21-24, 2019.
  • “Why Anti-Cruelty Laws Are Not Enough” Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School: Animal Ethics and Law: Creating Positive Changes for Animals. Oxford, England; July 22-25, 2018

  
  Fellowships:

  • Associate Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics
  • The Ferrater Mora Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, Oxford, England; 2018-Present

  
  Awards:

  • American Veterinary Medical Association: Animal Welfare Assessment Contest; Fall 2019
  • Colorado State University, Graduate Student Division
  • First Place Team, Live Scenario
  • Second Place Team, Overall Virtual Scenario

  Email: mwebber@iliff.edu