Associate Professor Earns Prestigious NEH Fellowship

The National Endowment for the Humanities has granted a one-year fellowship to Craig Prentiss, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and religious studies. Prentiss will use the opportunity to complete a book on the role of religion in African American theater.

The prestigious fellowship is awarded to individuals who pursue advanced research in the humanities and contribute to scholarly knowledge in their field.

Prentiss’ research spans from the 1850s through World War II, when theater was an important part of American culture. While storylines during this time period ranged from the light-hearted to the serious, Prentiss believes religious issues were a critical component often overlooked by contemporary scholars and critics. The book will be the first dedicated solely to addressing this topic.

“My hope is that my research will lead others to look at these sources and at theater as an important site for theological debates, where individuals present their truths about God, the role of the church, and morality,” says Prentiss.

A Rockhurst faculty member since 1996, Prentiss teaches courses such as “Religion in America” and “Religion, Ethnicity and Race.”