W. Marshall Johnston, Ph.D.
Education
Share why you teach at FPU
FPU is a vibrant, supportive, multi-denominational community. There is room for lively academic and theological exchange. I get to work on and teach about early Christianity at the lower and upper division level, as well as with graduate students. I also have an opportunity to further my own and my students' understanding of the ancient Hebrews. As if these weren't enough, I get to teach more Greek and Latin than I have at any previous job. FPU provides a rare opportunity to combine faith and service, and in the process nurture the next generation of leaders in the Church and the world.
Scholarly Interests
- Ancient biography
- The Alexandrian tradition
- Greek and Roman history
- I have enjoyed editing classics books for Gorgias Press.
Professional and Service Experience
I have enjoyed a great deal these last few years dividing my life between the history and classics curriculum at Fresno Pacific and leadership in my church and regional denomination group. Pacific has allowed me to work on language pedagogy, teach seminar style, direct graduate students, and be involved in curricular and scholarly development. National conferences and a European study trip have greatly enriched my own knowledge and understanding of my subject. I serve on the Undergraduate Academic and General Education Committees and on the editorial board of the Pacific Journal. My work with the Episcopal Church has pushed me to a better understanding of Christian Community and the meaning of servant leadership.
Honors and Awards
Professional Affiliations
- American Philological Association
- American Association of Ancient Historians
- Association of Core Texts and Curricula
- American Popular Culture Association
Publications and Presentations
- "Nestor's Advice" presented at the Association for Core Texts and Courses conference in New Brunswick, New Jersey, April 2010
- "The Fifth Gospel in Film," presentation at the Southwest Texas Popular Culture Association section meeting of the American Popular Culture Association, February 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Response to the church and slavery in Pacific Journal, volume 2
- Several articles for FPU Scholars Speak on the paranormal, Tolkien, and the Episcopal Church
- A view of ancient biography in the upcoming Association of Core Texts and Curricula (ACTC) Proceedings.
- The Latin translations in The Whitehouse ABC: A Presidential Alphabet, by John Hutton, published by the White House Historical Foundation, 2004
Recommended Resources
- I have a couple of articles on the FPU Scholars Speak site. I really like how that site is developing under Rod Janzen and Wayne Steffen's leadership.
- The library staff have made our Hiebert Library site very valuable.
- There is an incredible wealth of classics resources on the web: I most often mention the Perseus Project, The Bryn Mawr Classical Review and Livius.
Other Information
I live in the Tower District with my wife Pam--also a Classicist-cats and a dog. I drive to work in a grease car: a VW Jetta converted to run on soybean oil.
