Dr. Erwin K. Thomas

Interfaith writer Guyanese-born Erwin K. Thomas, PhD, was raised in Georgetown, Guyana, as the eldest of eleven children. At the age of 26 he emigrated to the United States to further his studies. He completed his undergraduate degree in Speech at the University of Oregon, Eugene, did graduate work in Television at Brooklyn College (CUNY), worked at CBS Network Radio News, NYC, before teaching at three universities - International Journalism, Ethics, History, and TV Directing. His interest is writing about World Religions & Beliefs. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and promotes religious literacy.

In 1978 Thomas earned the Ph.D. degree in International Journalism and Broadcasting from the School of Journalism, University of Missouri - Columbia. After 28 years at SUNY - Oswego, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, and Norfolk State University, VA, he retired as professor and graduate coordinator of the Department of Mass Communications & Journalism at Norfolk State. He was vice president of the Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) at Old Dominion University, Virginia Beach, VA, and is a member of the Association for Education for Journalism in Mass Communication (AEJMC) Religion Media Interest Group.

Thomas has published 11 books. One of the earliest is entitled, Mass Media in 2025 with Brown H. Carpenter (Greenwood Press); a biography, Life's Passages: From Guyana to America, novel Guyana's Seawall Girl (2018), Heaven Bound (2019) by CreateSpace Independent Platform, and A Life of Prayer: Devotions & Pandemic (2021). His work has been published in Graphics/Communications, Journal of Ethnic Studies, Studies in Latin American Popular Culture, Dictionary of Literary Biographies, and Gazette.

Thomas has participated in book festivals at Virginia's Beach Central Library, Norfolk Public Slover Library, Suffolk Literary Festival, and Williamsburg Book Festival. He is married to Mary Barta Thomas - a retired librarian, and they are the parents of Matthew J. Thomas, of Charlottesville, VA. They were life-long members of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Virginia Beach - an ecumenical community of Episcopalians and Roman Catholics, where he had served on the Vestry Council, was a Eucharistic Minister, and editor of the church's Facebook page. But he presently considers himself a religious naturalist, and is a member of the Religious Naturalists Association (RNA).