Stephen J. Davis

Stephen J. Davis is the Woolsey Professor of Religious Studies and Professor of History at Yale University, specializing in ancient and medieval Christianity with a focus on the eastern Mediterranean and Near East. He served as Head of Pierson College from 2013 to 2023 and previously taught in Cairo at an Arabic-language theological college. His research spans monasticism, pilgrimage, Coptic language studies, and interfaith relations in medieval contexts.

Education:

• A.B., Princeton University
• M.Div., Duke University Divinity School
• M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Yale University

Research Focus: Davis explores monastic practices, the cult of saints, biblical interpretation, Coptic epigraphy, and the intersection of Christianity with Judaism and Islam. He directs the Yale Monastic Archaeology Project (YMAP) and oversees cataloging of Coptic manuscripts at Dayr al-Suryān. His work integrates anthropological and literary methodologies with material culture analysis.

Publications: His scholarship bridges textual and archaeological evidence, emphasizing how practices like pilgrimage and liturgy shaped early Christian communities. Recent projects include studies on Gnostic texts and Christological traditions.

Projects & Leadership: As founder of YMAP and editor-in-chief of the Christian Arabic Texts in Translation series, he advances interdisciplinary research through archaeological excavation and manuscript preservation.