Courtney Friesen

Courtney Friesen is a Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Classics at the University of Arizona. He holds a Ph.D. in Classical and Near Eastern Studies from the University of Minnesota (2013) and previously taught at the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Theology and Religion. His research focuses on intersections between Greek literature and the religious worlds of ancient Jews and Christians, with particular attention to classical theater’s reception in early Christian and Jewish contexts.

Key works include Reading Dionysus (2015), which won the 2016 Manfred Lautenschläger Award, and Acting Gods, Playing Heroes (2024), exploring religion and classical theater. His 2017 essay on gluttony and drunkenness earned the Paul J. Achtemeier Award. Current projects include co-editing The Reception of Philo of Alexandria with Oxford University Press.

Teaching responsibilities span all levels of Classical Greek language instruction and courses on early Christianity, New Testament, and Greco-Roman religion. He regularly offers graduate seminars on classical studies methodologies and thesis preparation.