It has been quite some time since we've had the pleasure of introducing a new team member. Meet Kathleen Gallagher Elkins, the latest member of the Fortress Press team! Get to know Kathleen's background in biblical studies and the types of books she's looking to acquire.
You're new to the Fortress editorial team, so my first question is, what attracted you to apply and ultimately join the Fortress Press team?
Since my days as an undergraduate religion major, I’ve known and used Fortress Press books. I eventually did a seminary degree and then earned a PhD in New Testament and Early Christianity; during all those years of schooling and since, Fortress books have been reliable, influential, and eye-opening in my scholarly work and teaching. Some of the foundational classics in the field are Fortress – and of course, some of the most innovative new works of scholarship are also Fortress! When I saw the job posting, I was excited to apply (and tried hard not to seem like a fangirl). I had been a college professor for more than a decade and, at the time, was a tenured professor at a liberal arts college, so it was a huge jump professionally. But I couldn’t be happier to be here.
What types of books are you looking to acquire? And what impact do you hope the books you acquire will have on religious study?
I’m a biblical scholar by training, so I’ll look to acquire broadly in biblical studies; I’d especially be excited about books that ask innovative questions about ancient texts. Biblical studies is an inherently interdisciplinary field, so it’s always interesting to see how scholars bring different intertexts, new theoretical approaches, or a contemporary set of issues to texts that may be quite well-known.
I’d also be interested in works that engage with interreligious/interfaith and ecumenical questions. One of the things I love most about studying the Bible is that it is a collection of voices from across different times and places, which all think differently about God, community, ethics, and so on. Some of my own scholarly work has engaged Jewish-Christian dialogue, specifically, but I’m very interested in works that go beyond that too.
Lastly, books about women, gender, feminist/womanist studies in religion, childhood studies, studies of the family, and so on. Fortress has already published some exciting work in these areas and there’s so much more work to be done!
And if someone’s work doesn’t fit into any of those categories, I hope they would still feel free to reach out and to chat about their book. Maybe it would be a good fit for Fortress!
In all these areas, I would hope that the books I acquire help readers think through complex questions of religious belonging, individual and communal ethics, and textual interpretation. Fortress’s tagline, “scholarship that matters,” is what guides my work.
How has writing your own book, Mary, Mother of Martyrs, equipped you for the role of acquisitions editor?
That book came out of my doctoral dissertation, so I understand the many (many!) rounds of revision that it takes to publish a book. I’m currently working on a book about children in the Bible, which also reminds me about the excitement of a new project. Having said that, I continue to be surprised at all the things about publishing that I did not know as an author – which, perhaps counterintuitively, equips me to work well with scholars and other authors, because I know what they know and can be an effective guide through the process of publication.
I’m not a theologian myself, but I’ve heard that personal theology often grows out of individual experience. If you’re comfortable sharing, would you mind offering a brief glimpse into your own theological perspective?
My personal theology is deeply shaped by being raised by parents who were different Christian denominations: my mother was Presbyterian (PCUSA) and my dad is Roman Catholic. They divorced when I was young and I went to church every Sunday, but to different churches! I was confirmed in both traditions. In some ways, those denominations have a lot of overlap and connections so there was lots of continuity between the two communities. But there were, of course, many differences too. It was always hard for me to get the words to the Lord’s Prayer right, because I could never remember if I was asking to be forgiven for my “debts” or my “trespasses”! Since then, I’ve had formative experiences in several other denominational settings. All of this has shaped my theological commitment to seeing the ways that God is at work in a variety of communities.
What is a piece of media you've consumed recently that has resonated with you? It can be a book, TV show, or movie. And why did it resonate with you?
I read RF Kuang’s Babel: An Arcane History about a year ago and can’t stop thinking about it. I read lots of novels and have read plenty of good novels since then, but this one is sticking with me! Anyone who has been to grad school (and perhaps had a few good buddies who supported them along the way) will resonate with the camaraderie these friends have. But there’s so much more: magic, colonization, a revolution, footnotes (!), and the gratifying work of translation.