Dr. Andrew Gardner Joins Faculty as Louisville Post Doc Research Fellow

Hartford Seminary is pleased to welcome Dr. Andrew Gardner as Visiting Faculty Associate in American Religious History and Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Hartford Institute of Religion Research.

Dr. Gardner received his Ph.D. from Florida State University in 2020 writing a dissertation entitled “‘To Awaken the Song of Transport’: The Development of Seminaries and Divinity Schools in Antebellum America.” He holds research interests in American religious history, the history of theological education, religion and race, spatial theory, and Baptist studies.

Dr. Gardner earned his bachelor’s degree at William & Mary University and a Master of Divinity at Wake Forest University. He has published articles in CrossCurrents, The American Baptist Quarterly, Baptist History & Heritage, and Implicit Religion. He is also the author of Reimagining Zion: A History of the Alliance of Baptists (2015). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Baptists and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.

“As a scholar whose research has focused on the history of theological seminaries in the United States, I am excited to be a part of a theological school that traces its history to the nineteenth century but has also re-envisioned its identity for the twenty-first century,” Dr. Gardner said. “As religious congregations face tremendous challenges in the face of the current COVID-19 pandemic, innovative institutions like Hartford are vital to the wellbeing of American religious life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to join in the work of Hartford Seminary community.”

Dr. Scott Thumma, who directs the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, thanked the Louisville Institute, which has funded three postdoctoral positions at Hartford Seminary over the last four years.

“We are thrilled to have Andrew join us at the Institute working on several upcoming research projects,” Dr. Thumma said. “He will be a great addition to Seminary community.”  

Welcome, Andrew!