Karen Carr | Dirck Vorenkamp | Martyn Smith | Karen Park Koenig

Professor Karen Carr focuses on modern western religious thought and comparative religions, with special interest in philosophy of religion. Her book, The Banalization of Nihilism, examining twentieth-century responses to meaninglessness, was placed on Choice's Outstanding Academic Book List. Her second book, coauthored with P.J. Ivanhoe (University of Michigan), is entitled The Sense of Antirationalism: The Religious Thought of Zhuangzi's and Kierkegaard.

Professor Carr has been at Lawrence since 1987. She received her B.A. in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Oberlin College, and her A.M. and Ph.d. from Stanford University.

Her general area is Christianity, with specific interests in nineteenth- and twentieth-century religious thought, philosophy of religion, and comparative religion.

Professor Dirck Vorenkamp joined the department in 1997. A specialist in Buddhist studies, he has written numerous articles for professional journals, including Another Look at Utilitarianism in Mo-Tzu's Thought and B-Series Temporal Order in Dogen's Theory of Time.

Professor Vorenkamp has a BS in Education from the Univ. of Tulsa, Ok., an M.A. in East Asian Studies from the Univ. of Kansas and a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison.

His primary area of research is Chinese Hua-yen Buddhism and he has published on Chinese and Japanese Buddhism as well as non-Buddhist Chinese religions.  

Professor Martyn Smith

Assistant professor of religious studies

Prairie College-Alberta, B.Th. Fuller Seminary, M.A. Emory University, Ph.D.

Interests: Islam, medieval Arabic literature, religion and the environment 

Education Ph.D. History of Christianity The Divinity School, The University of Chicago, 2005 M.A. Religious Studies The Divinity School, The University of Chicago, 1995 B.A. English Literature Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, 1991 (English)

Doctoral Examinations 1. History of Christianity: Ancient Period 2. History of Christianity: Medieval and Reformation Periods 3. History of Christianity: Modern Period 4. Religion and Literature: Genres

Dissertation "'A Spirit Averse from Calvin': The Lady Falkland Her Life and its Monastic Context" (2005) Committee Advisor: Susan Schreiner (University of Chicago); Readers: Anthony Yu, Catherine Brekus (University of Chicago)

Honors, Awards, and Grants

• Associated Colleges of the Midwest, Newberry Library Research grant, January 2007
• Martin Marty Dissertation Fellowship, 2003-2004
• University of Chicago Doolittle Fellowship, 2003
• Divinity Students Association Doctoral Examination Fellowship, 1998

Teaching and Research Interests: History of Christianity, Reformation and Early Modern Religion and Literature American Religious History Christianity and Material Culture

Teaching Experience
* Postdoctoral Fellow in the Humanities, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, 2006-Present
* Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies, St. Norbert College, DePere, WI, 2005-2006
* Lecturer, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, 2002-2003
* Teacher, Religious Studies, Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, Westchester, IL, 1997-1998

Undergraduate Courses Designed and Taught
* History of Catholicism in America, Lawrence University, 2003, 2007
* Religion in America, St. Norbert College, 2005, Lawrence University, 2006, (2008)
* Introduction to Theology, St. Norbert College, 2006
* Luther, Calvin and the Radical Reformation, Lawrence University, 2007, (2008)
* Conversion and Conquest (2008)

Conferences/Lectures
* ADD SCSC and AAR here Moderator, "Negotiating Religion" undergraduate panel, Upper Midwest Regional Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, St. Paul, MN, April 2007
* "The Lady Falkland Her Life: A Benedictine Biography," Patristic, Medieval and Renaissance Conference, Villanova University, October 2005
* "Death and the Soteriological Imperative in The Lady Falkland Her Life," Renaissance Society of America, March 2003, Toronto
* "Nuns as Nurses in the American Civil War" Conference on Women Religious, June 1996, Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee

Related Professional Experence
Grantwriter: Assistant Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Lawrence University, Appleton WI, 2001-2004