Kenyon Gradert

Kenyon Gradert serves as Assistant Professor in the English Department at Samford University's Howard College of Arts and Sciences, teaching both English and Core Texts (Great Books) programs. His academic focus bridges literary studies, religious history, and social criticism from the Reformation to contemporary periods, with specialized expertise in long 19th-century transatlantic intellectual history.

Gradert's research centers on memory and reception in 19th-century social criticism, analyzing how writers from 1789-1914 reinterpreted historical texts to confront crises including slavery, secularism, revolution, and environmental change. His work demonstrates particular strength in tracing Puritan legacies within abolitionist movements and examining higher criticism's impact on literary production. Current book projects investigate Melville's post-WWI global revival and biblical criticism's influence on 19th-century literature.

His publication record spans elite academic journals like MELUS and The New England Quarterly, alongside prominent public venues including The New York Times and Smithsonian. Recent scholarship reveals recurring patterns: transnational reception of religious ideas, reclamation of historical narratives for social justice, and exploration of craft aesthetics through initiatives like Birmingham's "The Forge" blacksmith studio.

Notable awards include:

• Volkswagen Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Heidelberg University (2017-2018)
• Multiple Teaching Awards (2014, 2017, 2019)
• New England Regional Fellowship Consortium Archival Research Fellowship (2016)
• Graduate Affiliate position at Washington University's Danforth Center on Religion and Politics (2014-2016)

Gradert's pedagogical approach integrates experiential learning through activities like Deep Springs College cattle drives and community-based workshops. His research receives support from major fellowship programs while maintaining strong public engagement through media commentary on topics ranging from Darwin's abolitionist reception to Billy Graham's postwar cultural impact.

He co-leads "The Forge," a distinctive Birmingham initiative merging blacksmithing practice with literary study, while maintaining active connections to Deep Springs College through past cattle drive participation. These endeavors reflect his commitment to connecting academic inquiry with material practice and community engagement.