Notre Dame: End of Year One

Kate has asked me to write a post describing what I do here at Notre Dame, which I think also means explain why I took Kate and Maryn away from Oklahoma to a place where it snows three-quarters of the year. So, here goes my first foray into the blogging world.

What Do I Study?

For those of you who may not know, I am a doctoral student in the history department at Notre Dame.  Broadly speaking, my field of study is early American history - the colonial period through the American Revolution - and I focus mainly on religion in North America. I could go on forever about my research interests (just ask Kate!), but it really boils down to this: I mainly study the “social history of theology” in the 18^th century. “Social history of theology” is a phrase my advisor has used to describe his own work. So what does it mean? It means that I am interested in the ways that social and political events affected Protestant evangelicals and their ideas about God, the Bible, and the world. My work so far has investigated how events like the earthquakes in Cape Ann, Massachusetts and Lisbon, Portugal (both in November 1755) shaped, challenged, and affirmed evangelical religious beliefs. Though I have not yet settled on a topic for my dissertation, I am leaning toward a study that explores the Anglo-French wars in North America from 1745-1763 and their effects on evangelical thought.

Why Notre Dame?

In my opinion, the University of Notre Dame is one of the best places in the nation to study American religious history.  It has been home to a number of important scholars who have done amazing work both in history and in other fields.  One major reason I chose Notre Dame was so that I could work with my advisor, Dr. Mark Noll.  Professor Noll is the preeminent historian of religion in America, has authored & co-authored over thirty volumes on a broad range of topics, and in 2005 was named one of Time magazine’s “25 most important evangelicals in America.” I read one of his books (The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind) when I was a sophomore in college and he has been an intellectual hero of mine ever since.   It has been an incredible experience working with him, and many of the other outstanding faculty members at ND.  I also get the opportunity here at ND to work with a number of talented graduate students whose interests cover a broad range of topics, periods, and geographic regions.

In front of "Touchdown Jesus" at the library.

What Do I Do?

The stack of books says it all; I read, read, and read some more.  I guess it doesn’t exactly say everything.  While I read a great deal, I also spend a large part of my time writing, meeting with professors and fellow grad students, attending lectures and departmental functions, as well as going to class.  And in the fall I’ll start teaching.  Here at ND, I typically take three graduate seminars per semester on various aspects of history and the historical profession.  Each class usually meets once a week and requires that students read books and articles, discuss the readings, and write several papers of varying lengths throughout the semester.  If I had to guess how much I read in a normal week, I would say anywhere from 1500 to 3000 pages and beyond.  It’s difficult to estimate how much I write a semester, but it’s usually around 100 pages or more.  Thank goodness I love to read and write! 

Some of the books I read this year

How Is It Going?

It has been a dream of mine for a long time to be here and it has surpassed all of my expectations.  After finishing my first academic year, I can’t fully describe how much I’ve enjoyed my time at Notre Dame.  The department is wonderful and the community of graduate students is truly spectacular.  Even in the short amount of time that I’ve been here I feel like I have grown a great deal as a historian on the make.  The course work has been really intense and I have been stretched quite a bit, but have made it through successfully thanks to God’s faithfulness and His sustaining grace, the love and support I receive everyday from Kate and Maryn, and the wonderful relationships we’ve developed at our church, Fulkerson Park.  All in all, Notre Dame has been a great place to work and it is starting to feel more and more like home.  Of course, we constantly miss our friends and family back in Oklahoma.

What’s Next?

Every Ph.D. student must pass an exam in at least one foreign language, so this summer I will be learning how to read French.  I only have one more year of course work (yay!) and then I move on to comprehensive exams.  After passing that phase, I will (Lord willing) move on to the dissertation research and writing process.  But as for now, I will enjoy spending some much-needed time relaxing with Kate and Maryn – and Graycie, of course.

Hopefully that helps give you a sense of why we’re here and what I do.  I cannot overstate just how much support I receive from my wonderful wife, who is my greatest encourager, dearest friend, and most-trusted editor.  With much patience and grace she also serves as a sounding board for all of my preliminary ideas about history.  Having a baby in graduate school has been a major adjustment too.  As the picture shows, Maryn helps me read and lets me know when it’s time to take play breaks.  After spending the largest part of my day dwelling on the past, Maryn’s welcomed interruptions are always a joyful reminder of the importance of the present and the future.