Kirk D. Farney

Dr. Kirk D. Farney serves as Vice President for Advancement, Vocation, and Alumni Engagement at Wheaton College while holding faculty rank as Assistant Professor of History. His administrative portfolio encompasses Alumni and Parent Engagement, Center for Vocation and Career, Development, Annual Giving, Gift Planning, Donor Relations, Marketing Communications, and Advancement Services. This dual role bridges corporate leadership expertise with deep scholarly engagement in American religious history.

His interdisciplinary education spans business and theology:

• Ph.D. in American Religious History, University of Notre Dame (2016)
• M.A. in History, University of Notre Dame (2013)
• M.A. in Theological Studies, Wheaton College (1998, Kenneth A. Kantzer Award recipient)
• M.B.A. in Marketing, Northwestern University (1990)
• B.S. in Finance, University of Illinois (1982, Honors Graduate)

Dr. Farney's research centers on Religious Broadcasting and American Religious History, with signature expertise in American Lutheranism and American Catholicism. His work examines how figures like Walter A. Maier and Fulton J. Sheen leveraged radio to shape religious identity during the Great Depression and beyond. This intersects with his interests in Evangelicalism, Religion and Mass Culture, and Organizational Behavior—the latter informed by his 26-year banking career at J.P. Morgan.

His publication trajectory (2013-2024) reveals consistent focus on religious media history, culminating in the award-winning 2022 book Ministers of a New Medium and the forthcoming 2024 KFUO article. These works demonstrate rigorous analysis of how theological concepts were adapted for mass communication, particularly in Lutheran and Catholic contexts.

Major recognitions include:

• 2022 Concordia Historical Institute Award (book)
• 2019 Concordia Historical Institute Award (article)
• 2014 Concordia Historical Institute Award (article series)
• 1997 Kenneth A. Kantzer Award (graduate work)

Though administrative duties limit formal student supervision, Dr. Farney remains intellectually engaged through lectures, publications, and campus interactions. His unique corporate-academic trajectory provides distinctive perspective on institutional leadership within Christian higher education. Current research continues exploring media-religion intersections, with future work likely addressing digital-age religious communication building on his radio history expertise.