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Faculty & Staff

Announcements


Important Contacts

Drew ThomasesDrew Thomases - Department Chair & Advisor
Associate Professor
Office: AL-662B
Email: [email protected]

Cindy TuCindy Tu - Administrative Coordinator
Office: AL-662 | Phone: (619) 594-1003
Email: [email protected]

 

 


Current Faculty

Rebecca BartelRebecca Bartel
Associate Professor
Office: AL-665
Email: 
[email protected]

Areas of interest: Christianity, religion and political economy, Latin American and Latino/a religions

Angela FeresAngela Feres
Lecturer
Office: 
AL-636
Email: [email protected]

Areas of interest: Reformations, History of Christianity, Medieval Christianity, World Religions

 

Brad KirkegaardBrad Kirkegaard
Lecturer
Office: AL-664
Email: 
[email protected]

Areas of interest: Bible, Early Christianity, archaeology of religion

Scott MeltzerScott Meltzer
Lecturer

Office: AL-636
Email: [email protected]

Areas of interest: Judaism, Bible

 

Kirk SandvigKirk Sandvig
Lecturer
Office: AL-664
Email: 
[email protected]

Areas of interest: World Religions, Japanese Religions, Christianity in Japan

Drew ThomasesDrew Thomases
Associate Professor
Office: AL-662B
Email: [email protected]

Areas of interest: Anthropology of religion, South Asian religions, globalization

 

Esra TuncEsra Tunc
Assistant Professor
Office: AL-672
Email: [email protected]

Areas of interest:  Islamic studies; religion and economy; anthropology of religion

Roy WhitakerRoy Whitaker - On Sabbatical (Spring 2025)
Associate Professor
Office: AL-670
Email: [email protected]

Areas of interest: New, Emergent, and Alternative Religions; Philosophy of Religion; Comparative Religion and Philosophy

 


Emeriti Faculty

Christine R. Downing
Professor Emerita, Ph.D., Drew University
Email: [email protected] 

Christopher J. Frost
Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., Boston University
Email: [email protected]

John L. Gillman
Lecturer Emeritus
Email: [email protected]

Wilburn Hansen
Associate Professor Emeritus, Ph.D. Stanford
Email: [email protected]

Linda D. Holler
Professor Emerita, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
Email: [email protected]

Risa Levitt
Professor Emerita, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
Email: [email protected]

Pam Fox Kuhlken
Lecturer Emerita, Ph.D., U.C. Riverside
Email: [email protected]

Rebecca Moore
Professor Emerita, Ph.D., Marquette University
Email: [email protected] | Website

Lori Stewart
Lecturer Emerita
Email: [email protected]

Sthaneshwar Timalsina
Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., Martin Luther University
Email: [email protected]

 

 

In Memoriam: Irving Alan Sparks (1933–2025)

We honor the memory of Irving Alan Sparks, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, who passed away on March 28, 2025, at the age of 91.

Sparks joined SDSU in 1974 as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and later became a dedicated faculty member and chair of the Department of Religious Studies. He was deeply respected for his scholarship in early Christianity and world religions, and for his mentorship of students and colleagues. Sparks retired from SDSU in 1999.

Born in Indiana and raised across the country, Sparks earned degrees from Davidson College, Union Theological Seminary, Lancaster Theological Seminary, and Claremont Graduate School. He was also active in the community, supporting local nonprofits and the arts, and remained devoted to family and faith throughout his life.

His legacy of compassion, intellectual curiosity, and service continues to inspire those who knew him. He will be deeply missed by the SDSU community.

I have wonderful memories of Alan Sparks, his leadership of the Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State University, and our subsequent friendship. 

I met him in 1999 when I applied for a faculty position in the department. Cordial and friendly, Alan made me feel welcome throughout the interview process. Indeed, when I told him I was en route to another interview, he encouraged me to postpone the trip because he was sure the dean would offer me the job at SDSU. Fortunately for me, Dean Paul Strand did.

Alan had gathered a cohort of great faculty: Linda Holler, Risa Levitt, Willard Johnson, Mary Kelly, Samy Swayd, John Gillman, and others whose names escape me at the moment. We were a congenial bunch, and the conflicts you hear about within other departments did not exist in Religious Studies. Of course, Elaine Rother, the department administrator, held it all together with grace, calm, and empathy.

Alan was an excellent mentor, who guided me with gentleness. Even after he retired, I continued learning from him, especially his practice of playing music quietly over the audio system as students gathered for class. I used this to great value in the course for Death, Dying, and the Afterlife, playing pop tunes students had suggested to me.

We had much in common given his biblical studies at Claremont and his specialities in both Antiquity and Christianity. I seem to recall conversations we had about various figures—especially St. Paul the apostle—and other New Testament figures and topics. I was interested to learn just now that he wrote an article on Buddha and Christ for the journal Numen as well as “A Report of Accidental Death,” for the Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists. Who knew?!?

He was also committed to interfaith dialogue, especially between Jews and Christians. For a time he served as acting director of the Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies at SDSU, and continued to participate in Lipinsky programs when Dr. Laurie Baron became the director.

Alan and his wife Helen hosted a number of gatherings and parties for department members at their fabulous apartment on Laurel Street. I remember the view of the city from their picture window, high above other buildings. It was always an elegant and lovely occasion to be there with the two of them. I think of the two of them, Alan and Helen, as a dynamic duo who loved and supported each other through thick and thin.

I appreciate having the opportunity to learn more about Alan through his obituary. I’m not surprised to see that he extended his kindness and compassion beyond the ivory tower and into the community.

Alan Sparks was a fine teacher, a decent man, and a great human being. We need more people like him today.

—Rebecca Moore, 26 May 2025