Thomas W. Simpson

Instructor in Religion
Appointed
2008
Thomas W. Simpson

Education

M.Theological Studies Emory University

B.A. University of Virginia

Ph.D. University of Virginia

Biography

Born and raised in western New York, Mr. Simpson double-majored in classics and religious studies at the University of Virginia. As a graduate student, he directed Emory University’s Journeys of Reconciliation, an international travel program exploring the global intersections of religion, conflict and peace building. He went on to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in religious studies with a specialization in modern U.S. religious history.

Mr. Simpson teaches courses in religion, ethics and philosophy, with special attention to race, gender and human rights. He chairs the Academy's MLK Day Committee. He lives in Ewald with his family, is an assistant coach for the JV baseball team and led the Academy's 2015 fall term abroad program in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Apart from his work at the Academy, he also serves as an instructor for the summer Global Citizens Youth Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mr. Simpson writes about postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina and the history of religious diversity and identity in the United States. He is the author of the book American Universities and the Birth of Modern Mormonism, 1867-1940 (University of North Carolina Press, 2016) and two literary essays about postwar Bosnia that have been featured in the Canadian literary magazine Numéro Cinq. He is a devoted fan of the San Francisco Giants, the Pittsburgh Pirates and, tragically, the Buffalo Bills. He loves the music of John Coltrane, Natalie Merchant, Patty Griffin and Rush, as well as the writings of W. E. B. Du Bois, Ervin Staub, Goran Simić, Aleksandar Hemon, Heather Derr-Smith, Natalie Goldberg and Anne Lamott. Some of his favorite films include OnceGrbavica, Ida, Where Do We Go Now? and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring.

Publications

American Universities and the Birth of Modern Mormonism, 1867-1940. University of North Carolina Press. 2016.

“Bosnia Corrected Me”. Samir Biščević (Website). 2016.

"Poem for Sarajevo" Wayne Street Soul. 10 July, 2012.

"Recovery's Rhythm and Blues" Numero Cinq Magazine. Vol. VII No. 4. April, 2016.

"All We Have Left: A Bosnian Journey". Numero Cinq Magazine. Vol. V No. 10. 10 October, 2014.