Dr. Martin received her MDiv from Boston University and then spent time researching her dissertation in the archives of the University of Exeter, Cornwall, graduating with a PhD focusing on Religion and Literature from Baylor University. In 2023 Dr. Martin was awarded a grant from Interfaith America to develop and implement a pilot program equipping students with practical skills for bridging divides across difference and fostering collaborative problem-solving, which was later adopted for freshman orientation at the college. Her current teaching includes biblical studies and religion and culture, including courses such as "New Testament,” “Faith & Film,” and "Spiritual Autobiographies.”
Education
- PhD, Religion and Literature, Baylor University
- MDiv, Boston University
- BS, Skidmore College
Scholarly Interests
- Dr. Martin scholarly interests include the Gospels, Christian spirituality, and the intersection of religion and culture, with a recent focus on Christian Nationalism and apocalypticism in the United States.
Contributions to the Field
- Presentations for the American Academy of Religion in the following sections: Arts, Literature and Religion; Study of the Qur’an
- Presentations for Popular Culture Association for the following sections: Religion and Culture; Film
- Presentations for southwest and south-central Conference on Christianity & Literature
- Martin's dissertation on the poet Jack Clemo filled a current gap in the scholarship on the poetics of nonconformity over and against the dominant Anglican tradition.
Memberships & Affiliations
- American Academy of Religion
- Popular Culture Association
- Theta Kappa Alpha – (national honor society for religious studies and theology)
- Society of Biblical Literature
Publications & Presentations
- “What is Christian Nationalism?” Faith & Action Series, Principia College, Elsah, IL, 2025.
- “Prayer in the New Testament,” Lifelong Learning Summer Session, Principia College, Elsah, IL, 2018.
- “Clemo’s Theopoetics: A Call to Community from the Margins, American Academy of Religion National Meeting, Boston, MA, 2017.
- “An Orthodox Carnival: The Devil and Ivan Karamazov,” Midwest American Academy of Religion, Ada, OH, 2014.
- “‘Priest and Lover’: Jack Clemo’s Vocation to Erotic Christian Marriage,” Kindling the Scarp: A Jack Clemo Conference, Cornwall, U.K., 2013.
- For additional publications and presentations, please see the CV below.
Awards
- “Bridging the Gap” Funding Agency: Interfaith America, Principal Investigator (PI): Heather Martin (2023-2024)
- Horace Edwin Harper Jr. and Evelyn Wright Harper Award for Teaching Excellence –Principia College, 2022
