Heath Spencer CV

Teaching and Research Interests

Modern Europe, modern Germany, social and religious history.

Biography

I grew up in the Seattle area, received my Bachelor’s Degree in history at the University of Washington, and completed my M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky, specializing in modern Europe, modern Germany, and religious and social history. My earlier research explored the dynamics of German Protestant church politics at the beginning of the twentieth century, but more recently I have been investigating the connections and disconnections between German liberal Protestant thought and Nazi conceptions of Christianity. Most of the courses I teach, including core courses, examine how religion has contributed to peace or conflict in various contexts. I also serve on the editorial board of Contemporary Church History Quarterly, an online journal of “news, reviews, and commentary on contemporary religious history.”  At home, I enjoy spending time with my family as well as hiking, reading, gardening, and raising backyard chickens.