Abram Van Engen

Abram Van Engen is the Chair of the Department of English and the Stanley Elkin Professor in the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis. He holds a courtesy appointment as Professor of Religion and Politics. His research focuses on early American literature, religion, and the historical memory of Puritanism. He earned a PhD (2010) and MA (2005) from Northwestern University, and a BA (2003) in English and Philosophy from Calvin College.

Van Engen’s work bridges academia and public scholarship, including co-hosting the Poetry for All podcast. He leads the Humanities Digital Workshop, exploring digital methods for studying American exceptionalism. His awards include the Pelikan Award (2022) and the Peter J. Gomes Memorial Book Prize (2021) for City on a Hill.

His teaching spans undergraduate courses like Morality and Markets (co-taught with the Business School) and graduate seminars on Puritanism and Marilynne Robinson. Collaborative projects involve undergraduate and graduate researchers in digital humanities and interdisciplinary teams.

• Awards: Pelikan Award, Gomes Prize, Christianity Today Book Award
• Key Publications: City on a Hill, Sympathetic Puritans, Feeling Godly
• Grants: NEH Faculty Fellowship, NEH Public Scholar Award

Labs/Teams: Leads the City on a Hill digital project and collaborates on interdisciplinary initiatives at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics.