Mark D. Ellison 738 Huffine Manor Cir. Franklin, TN 37067 615-589-9895 mark.d.ellison@vanderbilt.edu

Education

2013–2017: Ph.D. candidate, Vanderbilt University, Graduate Department of Religion

Major: Early Christianity. Minor: Early Christian/Late Antique Art and Material Culture

Advisor: Prof. Robin Margaret Jensen

Dissertation working title: Visualizing Christian Marriage in the Roman World

Defense scheduled: February 10, 2017; anticipated graduation: May 12, 2017

2016: M.A., Religion, Vanderbilt University

2003–2004: study of New Testament Greek, St. Petersburg Theological Seminary (St. Petersburg, FL)

2003: M.A., Religious Studies (Bible and Archaeology track), University of South Florida

Advisor: Prof. James F. Strange

Thesis: Encountering the Shepherd of Dura: A Re-Examination of the Good Shepherd in Early Christian Art and Texts

1998: M.Ed., Educational Leadership and Foundations, Brigham Young University

1990: B.A., English, Brigham Young University

Publications

Jensen, Robin Margaret, and Mark D. Ellison, editors. The Routledge Handbook of Early Christian Art. London and

New York: Routledge [forthcoming, 2018].

“Marriage: Visual Art.” Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception [forthcoming, 2017].

“Adam in the New Testament.” BibleOdyssey.com, April 29, 2016. Online:

http://www.bibleodyssey.com/people/related-articles/adam-in-the-new-testament.aspx

Publication Projects in Process

“Adam and Eve’s Labors and Marriage on Early Christian Sarcophagi.” Studies in Iconography. Journal editors have

requested a revision and resubmission by Dec. 31, 2016, with prospects for publication in the 2018 volume.

“Lay Self-Representation and the Christianization of Roman Private Life” [working title]. In The Routledge Handbook

of Early Christian Art. London and New York: Routledge [forthcoming, 2018].

“The Communion of the Apostles and the Theophany of Isaiah: Visual and Literary Themes in the Syriac Eucharistic

Tradition.” Development of a Syriac Christianity seminar paper (spring 2015) and a paper delivered at the regional

meeting of ASOR Southeast (American Schools of Oriental Research) / Southeast Commission for the Study of

Religion, Atlanta, GA, Mar. 6, 2016; working towards submission to Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies.

“Family and Marriage in the New Testament.” In New Testament History, Culture, and Society, edited by Lincoln

Blumell [forthcoming, 2018].

“Sarcophagus.” Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception, volumes on visual art [forthcoming, due Spring 2017].

Up Close and Personal: Intimate Devotions and Everyday Objects in Late Antiquity. Vanderbilt University Fine Arts

Gallery, May 7–September 4, 2015. Nine catalog entries on individual oil lamps. University-produced exhibition

guide; revision and broader publication being considered.

Mark Ellison CV: 2

Employment and Teaching Experience

2016: Adjunct Instructor, Department of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University

2014–15: Teaching Associate, Vanderbilt University

Courses taught:

Fall 2015: REL 6700 Formation of Christian Traditions, with Dr. David A. Michelson

Spring 2015: DIV 2750 The History of Religion in America, with Dr. James Hudnut-Beumler

Fall 2014: HART 207/DIV 2712 The Art of Pagans, Christians, and Jews, with Dr. Robin Margaret Jensen

2014–2016: Historical Studies Bibliographer, Vanderbilt Divinity Library

2013–14: Research Assistant, Vanderbilt University Graduate Department of Religion

1990–2013: LDS Seminaries & Institutes of Religion

Taught secondary and post-secondary students in religious education settings, trained and supervised volunteer teachers,

worked in instructional design developing teaching materials.

Professional Service

2014–2016: Peer reviewer for Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center journal Religious Educator, BYU

Maxwell Institute journal Studies in the Bible and Antiquity, and BYU Student Symposium.

2014–15: Co-convener with Drs. Robin Margaret Jensen and David A. Michelson, Seminar on Religion, Society, and

Culture in Late Antiquity, Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities, Vanderbilt University.

2014: Co-organizer of conference on Religion in Late Antique Culture and Society (ReLACS), Vanderbilt University.

Conference Presentations

“Christus Pronubus Stephanophorus: A Case Study on Lay Self-Representation and the Christianization of Roman

Private Life.” Regional Late Antiquity Consortium, University of Kentucky, October 21, 2016.

“Posthumous Spousal Reunion in Early Christian Art and Texts.” North American Patristics Society annual meeting,

section on afterlife in early Christianity, Chicago, IL, May 27, 2016. Winner of graduate student paper award.

“Two Rhipidia and Two Pendants: Public and Private Material Expressions of Isaiah’s Theophany in the Syriac

Eucharistic Tradition.” Regional meeting of ASOR Southeast (American Schools of Oriental Research) / Southeast

Commission for the Study of Religion, Atlanta, GA, Mar. 6, 2016.

“Adam and Eve’s Labors and Marriage Ideals in Early Christian Relief Sculpture.” Society of Biblical Literature

Annual Meeting, section on Archaeology of Religion in the Roman World, Atlanta, GA, Nov. 21, 2015.

“‘Joined’ in Life and Death: Marriage, Identity, and the Sarcophagus of Catervius and Severina.” Society of Biblical

Literature Annual Meeting, section on Art and Religion in Antiquity, San Diego, CA, Nov. 22, 2014.

“Using DIMLI to Create a Digital Catalog of Early Christian Sarcophagi.” Parthenon Lectures in Archeology: New

Techniques for Age-Old Questions, VRA Conference, Vanderbilt University, Oct. 16, 2014.

“The Sea Monster Kētos as Jonah’s ‘Great Fish’ in Early Christian Art.” Brown University Religious Studies Graduate

Student Conference: Beasts, Monsters, and the Fantastic in Religious Imagination, Mar. 1, 2014.

“Work and Glory: Jesus in Early Christian and Latter-day Saint Art.” Association for Mormon Letters Conference on

Depictions of Christ in LDS Literature, Film, and Art, Utah Valley University, Mar. 30, 2013.

Other Selected Lectures and Presentations

“Religion and Late Antique Material Culture.” Guest lecture and Art Gallery tours, DIV 6700 Formation of Christian

Traditions, Vanderbilt University, under direction of Dr. David Michelson, August 26–28, 2015.

Mark Ellison CV: 3 “19th Century Responses to the Challenges of Evolution and Higher Criticism.” Guest lecture, DIV 2750 History of

Religion in America, Vanderbilt University, under direction of Dr. James Hudnut-Beumler, Feb. 25, 2015.

“Theory and Method in the Study of Early Christian Art: Two Case Studies.” Guest lecture, HART 207/DIV 2712 The

Art of Pagans, Christians, and Jews, Vanderbilt University, under direction of Dr. Robin Margaret Jensen, October 6,

2014.

“Understanding Paul’s Epistle to the Romans” (4-lecture series), “The Four Gospels in One Week” (4-lecture series),

Brigham Young University Education Week, Summer 2012

“Understanding Paul’s Epistle to the Romans” (3-lecture series), “Archaeology and Early Christianity” (3-lecture

series), Brigham Young University—Idaho, Education Week, Summer 2012.

“Paul and James on Faith and Works.” LDS Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Scripture Forum, June 13, 2012.

“T. R. W. Longstaff’s Evidence of Conflation in Mark, the Synoptic Problem, and the Historical Jesus,” “Birger

Gerhardsson’s Memory and Manuscript: Oral Tradition and Written Transmission in Rabbinic Judaism and Early

Christianity and Tradition and Transmission in Early Christianity,” “Archaeology Field Work and the Bethsaida

Excavations Project,” guest lectures in undergraduate New Testament course taught by Prof. James F. Strange

University of South Florida, Fall 2002.

“Modern Latter-day Saint Practice and Belief,” Guest lecture / Question and Answer session, University of South

Florida, Mormonism in America course taught by Dr. Danny Jorgensen (several occasions, 1999–2003)

“The Setting and Sacrament of the Christian Community,” 31st Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, Brigham Young

University, Fall 2002.

Scholarships, Awards, and Grants

May 2016: Graduate Student Paper Award, North American Patristics Society, Annual Meeting

April 2016: Brigham Young University Religious Education Dissertation Grant

Fall 2015: Research Grant, Nibley Fellowship Program, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham

Young University

Summer 2015: Summer Research Grant, Graduate Department of Religion, Vanderbilt University

2014–2015: Nibley Fellowship Graduate Stipend and Research Travel Grant, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious

Scholarship, Brigham Young University

2013–2014: Nibley Fellowship, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University

2013–2018: Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Honors Fellowship, Vanderbilt University Graduate School

2013–2018: Vanderbilt University Graduate Department of Religion Scholarship

2000–2003: Invited to membership in Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

Travel Study Highlights

2016: Dissertation research in France: Paris, Lyons, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Aire-sur-l’Adour

2015: Dissertation research in Italy: Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Tolentino, Ancona, Ravenna, Venice, Milan, Siena, Ostia

Antica

2009: Travel study: Germany, Czech Republic, Poland

2001: Archaeology field work, field school, and site visits: Bethsaida Excavations Project, Israel/University of

Nebraska at Omaha

1999: Travel study: Rome, Egypt, Israel