Lorenzo DiTommaso

Lorenzo DiTommaso serves as Professor in the Department of Religions and Cultures at Concordia University, Montreal, where he has progressed from Assistant Professor (2004) to full Professor (2013), including service as Department Chair. His academic home encompasses Jewish Studies and Christianity programs, with biennial teaching of the graduate religion and popular culture seminar.

• Ph.D. in Religious Studies, McMaster University (2002)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale University Divinity School (2001-03)
• NEH Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Saint Louis University (2003-04)

DiTommaso's research constitutes a comprehensive exploration of apocalyptic speculation across temporal and cultural boundaries, from ancient Near Eastern traditions to contemporary digital media. His work uniquely bridges textual scholarship on biblical apocrypha and medieval manuscripts with cutting-edge analysis of apocalyptic expression in video games, anime, and popular music. The intellectual scope spans apocalyptic historiography, manuscript studies, apocalyptic and millenarian movements, and religion in contemporary media, with distinctive expertise in Japanese cultural intersections. His methodological approach combines rigorous textual analysis with interdisciplinary cultural theory, particularly examining how apocalyptic frameworks shape human responses to crisis across historical periods.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a pronounced shift toward contemporary apocalyptic manifestations, with nearly half of his 2021-2024 output focusing on digital media, video games, and modern cultural phenomena. Simultaneously, he maintains deep engagement with medieval manuscript traditions and early Jewish-Christian apocalyptic literature, demonstrating remarkable versatility across historical periods. The thematic through-line remains apocalyptic determinism versus human agency, examined through diverse lenses from ancient prophecy to interactive gaming environments.

• Bibliographical Society of America - Pine Tree Foundation Fellowship in Hispanic Bibliography (2019)
• Nicky Carpenter Fellow in Manuscript Studies
• Marilyn Hollinshead Visiting Scholar (2023)
• Research Fellow at Herzog August Bibliothek (2024)

DiTommaso has supervised over 20 graduate students since 2019 across diverse apocalyptic topics including disability studies in biblical interpretation, Satanism in virtual communities, and environmental apocalypse in radical movements. His research has been continuously supported by four major SSHRC grants (2004-07, 2007-11, 2011-16, 2018-24), supplemented by specialized fellowships at premier manuscript repositories including the Vatican Film Library, Herzog August Bibliothek, and special collections at Michigan State and Minnesota universities. He co-organizes the biennial 'Through a Glass Darkly' Symposium on Apocalyptic with Colin McAllister, now in its eighth year, rotating between Colorado Springs and Montreal.

The 'Through a Glass Darkly' symposium serves as his primary collaborative platform, fostering international scholarly exchange on apocalyptic themes. He maintains active research partnerships with institutions including the Enoch Seminar and Azrieli Institute for Israel Studies, while leveraging special collections access at major libraries for manuscript-based projects. Current work on apocalyptic comic art involves collaboration with special collections at Michigan State and Minnesota universities, demonstrating his commitment to bridging traditional textual scholarship with contemporary cultural analysis.