Areas of Expertise
Early Christianity, New Testament, second temple Judaism, late antique Egyptian monasticism, anti-blackness in late antiquity.
Education
- B.A., Marian University (2008)
- M.T.S., Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (2017)
- Th.M., Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (2018)
- PhD, Fordham University (2025)
What's My Why?
My dissertation, “Color Symbolism and the Construction of Demonologies in Early Egyptian Christianities: An Early Christian Technique of Identity Formation,” explores 2nd- to 5th-century Egyptian monastic writings with a focus on the “Ethiopian demon” trope. Late Antique Egyptian monks were concerned for the conversion of their dark-skinned Blemmyan and Nubian neighbors and prejudiced towards them on this basis. The development of monastic demonological framework within the socio-political context of Roman Egypt led toward the interweaving of cultural prejudices towards darker-skinned persons with genuine spiritual teachings. To consider the effects of color-coded language in antiquity, I trace the emergence of this trope through studying and translating sources such as the sermons of Shenoute of Atripe, the Life of Paul of Tamma and the Coptic Life of Aaron. The dissertation laid historical groundwork for my current book, which involves reckoning with the roots of anti-Black racism in present day Orthodox parishes and communities.
Selected Publications
“Receipt for the Date-Palm Tax” (VM 695) in Newly-Edited Ostraca Upsaliensia from the Petemenophis & Sons Archive, Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, 2024.
Color Symbolism and the Construction of Demonologies in Early Egyptian Christianities: An Early Christian Technique of Identity Formation, PhD diss., Fordham University, 2025.