Shane M Thompson

Dr. Shane M Thompson is an Assistant Professor of Bible and the Ancient Near East in the Religious Studies program at North Carolina Wesleyan College. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the same institution from Fall 2021 to Spring 2023. He has also held adjunct positions at Wake Forest University, University of South Carolina, Wofford College, and High Point University.

Dr. Thompson's educational background includes:

• PhD in Religious Studies from Brown University (2015-2021), with a focus on Israelite Religion and dissertation titled "Power in Public: Displays of Cultural Hegemony and Counter-Hegemony in the Late Bronze and Iron Age Levant"
• Master of Arts in Bible and the Ancient Near East from Brandeis University (2013-2015)
• Master of Theological Studies from Emory University's Candler School of Theology (2011-2013)
• Master of Arts in Religious Studies from University of Kansas (2008-2010)
• Bachelor of Arts in History from Wake Forest University (2004-2008)

Dr. Thompson's research interests focus on ancient religious practices, particularly Israelite religion within its broader Ancient Near Eastern context. His work explores power dynamics, cultural hegemony, ritual theory, and the intersections between religious practices and political structures in the Ancient Near East. He has made significant contributions to understanding Ugaritic thought, Egyptian-Levantine relations, and the material culture of the region. His interdisciplinary approach bridges archaeology, textual analysis, and theoretical frameworks to examine how ancient societies negotiated power, identity, and religious expression.

Dr. Thompson's scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on power structures, religious identity, and cross-cultural interactions in the Ancient Near East. His recent publications show an increasing emphasis on methodological innovation, digital approaches to ancient texts, and the application of theoretical frameworks from multiple disciplines to understand ancient religious phenomena. He has particular expertise in Ugaritic religion, Israelite religion, and the cultural dynamics of the Bronze and Iron Age Levant.

Among his notable achievements:

• Winner of the Brown University Library Innovation Prize for Innovation in Research Rigor, Transparency, and Reproducibility for the ADAAPA Project

Dr. Thompson has secured funding from prestigious organizations including the National Endowment for the Humanities (for The Living Speedways Project and Digital Preservation of Akkadian Tablets) and the Mellon Foundation (for the Brown Judaic Studies Open Book Program). His collaborative work, particularly with Jessica Tomkins on Egyptian-Levantine relations, demonstrates his commitment to interdisciplinary research that bridges Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern studies. He has also been actively involved in conference organization, notably "At the Margins: Interconnections of Power and Identity in the Ancient Near East" at Brown University in 2019.

Dr. Thompson's research projects, including the Advanced Digitization and Archival Analysis for Preservation and Accessibility (ADAAPA) Project, demonstrate his engagement with digital humanities approaches to ancient studies. His work with 3D modeling of cuneiform tablets represents an innovative intersection of technology and traditional scholarly methods.