Matthew Baldwin

Background

About Matthew Baldwin

I am a higher education professional with twenty years of experience serving as a teacher and in administrative service in a small private university. I am a high-level strategic thinker (in CliftonStrengths terms), investigator (in Enneagram terms), and debater (in Myers-Brings terms). I love questions. I love to learn and to systematically compile information. I love to analyze and organize knowledge and data. And I thrive when sharing what I know with a public audience. I professionally study "religion," but I do so as an anthropologist, not a theologian. People are the focus of my studies. My work is about understanding "what makes people tick." I want nothing more than to help human beings understand themselves, their neighbors, and the world they have made together. My work is about giving people access to cognitive resources that can help them thrive and succeed in a complex world. Most especially, I believe that we must understand the past as a context for our present, and that such understanding of the past is the key to successful and meaningful action today. As a teacher and scholar, I focus on culture, society, and religion in the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds, with a special emphasis on early Christianity, Judaism, and ancient Israelite religion. I also teach American philosophy and intellectual traditions, as well as method and theory in religious studies, writing and research, and general topics in the humanities. Besides these professional interests, I love stand-up paddle-boarding, surfing, weightlifting, walking, and street skateboarding. I am also something of a nutrition, fitness, and weight loss nerd. Ask me anything! I am happy to share.