Travis W. Proctor

Dr. Travis Proctor, Assistant Professor of Religion at Wittenberg University (Springfield, Ohio), specializes in religions of the ancient Mediterranean, with a focus on histories of Christian cultures in the ancient world (ca. 50-500 CE). His research draws on perspectives from cultural studies, gender studies, and the environmental humanities to demonstrate how the histories of religious cultures have continuing significance for society today.

His recently-published book, Demonic Bodies and the Dark Ecologies of Early Christian Culture (Oxford University Press), explores how early Christian theorizations of demonic bodies influenced ancient understandings of cosmic “ecosystems,” and how such historical perspectives may inform contemporary environmental ethics.

Dr. Proctor’s other research interests include topics in environmental history, animal studies, space & material culture, and ritual studies. His work has appeared in academic journals such as the Journal of Early Christian Studies, Harvard Theological Review, Studies in Late Antiquity, and the Journal of Ecclesiastical History, as well as public venues including Religion Dispatches, The Bart Ehrman Blog, and the “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” podcast.

Dr. Proctor received his B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.