About
Amy Singleton Adams is a Professor and Department Chair of World Languages, Literatures & Cultures at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. She also serves as the Russian Studies Program Director, demonstrating her leadership in Russian language and cultural education.
Dr. Adams earned her B.A. in Russian Language and Literature from Dartmouth College, followed by her M.A. and Ph.D. in Slavic Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her academic journey has positioned her as a leading scholar in Russian cultural and religious studies.
Dr. Adams's research explores the non-ecclesiastical dimensions of the sacred in literature, society, and environmental attitudes, drawing on a variety of visual and textual genres, including icons and fairy tales. Her work intersects Russian literature, religious studies, and political discourse, with particular focus on Dostoevsky's treatment of nature, Orthodox iconography in contemporary Russian politics, and the cultural significance of the Mother of God (Bogoroditsa) in Russian history and literature. She has made significant contributions to understanding how spiritual dimensions manifest in Russian literary traditions and how religious symbols function within political contexts.
Her publications reveal a consistent thematic thread examining the intersection of spirituality, literature, and political power in Russian culture. From analyzing Dostoevsky's representation of nature as divine language to investigating Putin's use of Orthodox icons as political discourse, Dr. Adams demonstrates how religious imagery and concepts permeate both literary and political spheres in Russian society. Her work on Gorky's 'God-building' philosophy and the cultural significance of the Mother of God across centuries reveals her commitment to understanding the deep connections between religious thought and cultural identity in Russia.
- Framing Mary: The Mother of God in Modern, Revolutionary, and Post-Soviet Russian Culture (2018), co-edited with Vera Shevzov
- Noplace Like Home: The Literary Artist and Russia's Search for Cultural Identity
Dr. Adams is actively involved in academic service, serving as President of the National Slavic Honor Society and as a member of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages, and the International Dostoevsky Society. Her teaching portfolio includes courses on 19th Century Russian Literature, Soviet Art and Literature, Writing Under Stalin, Fire & Ice: Siberia in Fiction, and Fairytale: Russia & the World.
