Skip to Main Content
Bringing It Home – The Saint Rose Blog

Professor Shout-Out! Meet Dr. Jeff Marlett

Dr. Jeff Marlett, Religious Studies Department, Associate Professor. Has been with Saint Rose since 1998.

About: 

  • Where did you attend school? I earned my Bachelor’s degree at Wabash College in Indiana.  I majored in Philosophy and had a double minor in Classics and Religion. Then came a Master’s of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee.  After that it was off to Saint Louis Universityto earn my PhD in Historical Theology.

    Dr. Jeff Marlett, Associate Professor in the Religious Studies Department

  • Where have you been employed? Prior to Saint Rose I spent a year teaching at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas.  Before then I adjuncted some courses at Saint Louis University, often with 45 students per course!
  • Did you always want to teach? Yes.  Ever since 1986 when I wrote a research paper on Protestant fundamentalists, I’ve been fascinated by religious communities.  Going to Wabash certainly helped, too.  The professors loved their work, they cared about us, and they didn’t let the circumstances or their students’ limitations dampen their enthusiasm.  Wabash remains _the_ inspiration and gold standard for my own teaching.
  • What classes do you teach at Saint Rose? Ha ha—several.  In 15 years here I’ve taught 28 different courses in Religious Studies, Philosophy, and American Studies. I often joke “If there’s a belief in it, I’ve taught a course on it.”   Since 2006, though, it’s been mostly RLS 102 Ethics and Values.
  • Highlight of academic career, thus far: Publishing my book Saving the Heartland in 2002 certainly ranks highly as does receiving promotion to full professor this year!  Other highlights involve bringing Colleen McDannell to campus in 2004, and then going to Notre Dame twice (2006 and 2009) to speak on Colleen’s book Catholics in the Movies.
Fun Facts:
  • What’s your favorite color? Blue – for the Virgin Mary;  Red – for Wabash, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the St. Louis Cardinals.
  • Favorite place to eat in the Capital Region? BFS on Western Avenue;  near campus, Junior’s is always good, too.
  • Favorite TV show? Criminal Minds. It’s the one show I watch regularly. I have to limit the amount of football and baseball I watch; otherwise I’d never get anything done.
  • What is the last book you read? For work, Three Ways of the Spiritual Life by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP; and Sacred Borders: Continuing Revelation and Canonical Restraint in Early America by David F. Holland. For fun, Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva; and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.  Having introduced my kids to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, it’s now my turn to read The Hunger Games.
  • If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? Time creation – so I could travel more, spend more time with my family, and spend more time traveling with my family.

*BONUS!*

I’ve had the chance here to work with some really great students and faculty colleagues.  It’s always great to see students succeed in sports, music, and the arts while on campus, and then to see them again –often with new families!—when they return.

Please feel free to post any questions or comments you have for Dr. Marlett below!

What do you think?

Comments posted on this site are held in moderation until approved by a site administrator. Vulgar, profane, obscene, offensive terms or personal attacks will not be tolerated.

Loading