Interview with PhD Student Lauren Ellison
Lauren Ellison is a PhD student in Sacred Texts and their Interpretation at the Graduate Theological Union, with a concentration in New Testament. A Presidential Scholar, Lauren draws on her rich background in teaching, extensive international travel, and hands-on archaeological work to explore early Christian heresiology, especially in the writings of Epiphanius of Salamis. Her research investigates how ancient constructions of orthodoxy and heresy—particularly regarding women—shaped communities, with the goal of fostering more inclusive and humane ways of defining belonging today.
GTU: What key experiences, people, or places have shaped your path toward doctoral study, and how did they influence your decision to pursue a PhD?
Lauren Ellison (LE): Two people who come to mind are teachers, particularly Mrs. Cone who insisted my high school move me from a regular English class into her honor’s class, then taught me to write; and Justin Barber at Iliff School of Theology who introduced me to Greek during my master’s program and, with expertise and great patience, helped me to succeed in this difficult language.
My husband has also been key to leading me to pursue a PhD. His own education and career led us to travel together and study in Italy, England, France, Egypt, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Greece and Israel. Together we’ve worked on an archaeological excavation in Galilee and taught and guided university students in a study abroad programs. Not only were these experiences incredibly broadening, but my husband’s enthusiasm for the ancient world was irresistibly contagious.
Finally, I need to mention Shon Hopkin who, when he was department chair of Ancient Scripture at BYU, asked me to teach New Testament. When I said, “No thanks,” he asked me to reconsider. I did, and the experience of teaching in a university classroom, on top of my former education and travels, made me realize I wanted—needed—to keep working, keep developing and keep improving in competence so that I could more fully join in academic and ethical conversations surrounding religion and religious texts and traditions, which have such potential to impact our communities and our world.
GTU: How would you describe your research interests, and what questions are you most passionate about exploring at this stage of your academic journey?
LE: I’m interested in studying early Christian heresiology, particularly in the writings of Epiphanius of Salamis. I want to study the ways Christians constructed ideas of orthodoxy and heresy, the rhetorical strategies they used (particularly as these relate to women, women’s roles, and women’s bodies), and the consequences (intended or not) of those strategies. I want to understand how and why rhetorical violence and dehumanization were applied to ancient boundary constructions, and I hope to apply what I learn to modern contexts where we often perpetuate negative strategies to describe who’s “in” and who’s “out.” I’m convinced there are better ways to define and understand ourselves and I want to be equipped to discuss and promote more positive options.
GTU: What made the GTU stand out to you as the right place to pursue your doctoral work?
LE: I grew up in the Bay Area, so the prospect of returning “home” was appealing; I still have relatives and friends here. But beyond that, I am excited about the professors I will have the chance to work with, their specializations in both New Testament and early Christian literature, and the opportunity to study in a vibrant community of scholars. I am very grateful for the GTU’s openness to investing in non-traditional students since I am one!
GTU: How does receiving the Presidential Scholarship shape what’s possible for you in your doctoral journey?
LE: It is game-changing; it makes an otherwise impossible journey possible for me. I sent in my GTU application feeling something like you feel buying a lottery ticket—knowing the odds are against you, but dreaming of the possibilities if only… When I opened the email saying that not only had I been admitted, but that I had received this scholarship, I burst into tears of joy! I am so profoundly grateful to GTU for their generosity and vote of confidence.
GTU: What are you most excited to dive into—whether it’s research, community, teaching, or something else—as you begin your PhD at the GTU?
LE: I love it all—learning, teaching, researching, writing! But I’m probably most excited about teaching. I have previously taught in many different capacities — elementary school children, high school students, college students, and adult English-language learners and refugees. I love the experience of seeing students’ eyes light up as they catch on to a new concept and sense its value. I look forward to learning more so I can be a better teacher, especially in the field of New Testament and early Christianity.
GTU: What impact do you hope your work will have on your field, your community, or the world?
LE: We human beings are social creatures; our ability to form cooperative social groups has been a major factor in our survival and development. But we can also use this ability in ways that threaten survival, such as when we form insider and outsider groups, “us” vs. “them,” by demonizing, dehumanizing, scapegoating, and inflicting harm upon vulnerable populations. I don’t know about changing the world, but I hope that in my own sphere of activity, I can bring knowledge of the past into present conversations in a way that raises awareness of the impact of things we say and ways we think about “others,” so we can correct problematic ways of designating and categorizing people and create more sense of community — more sense of care for our shared humanity. Our world desperately needs this.
GTU: What advice would you offer to others considering doctoral study in religion or theology?
LE: If you feel driven to do this kind of work, then start exploring! The compelling interests that work in us are “directions” for our lives. They are things we need to do. There was a time when doctoral studies seemed totally out of reach for me — financially unaffordable, beyond my intellectual abilities, incompatible with my family circumstances. But I found myself pursuing my interests until eventually my circumstances, preparation, and timing came together in this opportunity. If you have that driving interest, look around — there are many programs out there and it’s worth the effort to find the one that’s the right fit for you.