Exploring World Religions with Dr. Gretchen Starr-LeBeau
Dr. Gretchen Starr-LeBeau joined the faculty in 2015, after 15 years in the History Department at the University of Kentucky. Her teaching focuses on comparative religion and the history of religion, including courses on world religions, religion in America, and Islam. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Michigan and has presented her research in Portugal, Spain, and Germany.
What do you love about teaching at Principia?
I love the students—they’re a diverse group with a range of experiences and backgrounds, yet they share an interest in wrestling with big, meaningful questions. And I love my faculty colleagues, especially those in the Religion and Philosophy Department. It's an intellectually stimulating and spiritually supportive environment.
What’s your most recent research project?
I just finished co-editing the book Judging Faith, Punishing Sin: Inquisitions and Consistories in the Early Modern World, bringing together over 20 essays from around the world to compare and contrast Calvinist and Catholic institutions and how they operated from the 1500s to 1700s in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
If you could give students only one piece of advice, what would it be?
Develop good study habits early in the semester. Find a quiet place free of distractions that is “your” work place.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
As a historian of religion, I’ve worked in some fun places. As a grad student in rural Spain, I read 500-year-old documents in a monastery. Also, working in Venice, Italy, was a special experience.
If you had a day off and weren’t allowed to use it to catch up on work, what would you do?
I’d spend the day with my husband and kids, and our dog. I also use my free time to knit, run, and read for fun.