Amy Nelson
Affiliate Instructor in Humanities and History
Amy Nelson (B.A., Concordia College; Master of Theological Studies, Harvard Divinity School; Master of Medieval Studies, University of Notre Dame; PhD Candidate, University of Notre Dame)
Amy Nelson hails from Bismarck, North Dakota. She graduated with a BA in Religion and Classical Studies from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN in 2004, and received a Master of Theological Studies degree from Harvard Divinity School in 2008, with a focus on the History of Christianity. She is currently a PhD Candidate in the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame, where she received a Master of Medieval Studies degree in 2012. She recently returned from living in Vienna, Austria, where she was pursuing dissertation research made possible by the Fulbright Foundation.
Her scholarly work focuses on medieval monastic culture and the social history of Central Europe. She is interested in how communal religious identities are ideologically understood and practically maintained. Her dissertation, "Cultivating Communities: The Society and Spirituality of Premonstratensian Women and their Patrons in Medieval Central Europe," highlights the interactions between monastic women, lay patrons, and their shared local contexts. Additional topical interests include pre-modern death and memorialization practices, Christian mysticism, and material culture.
When she's not teaching, researching, or writing, Amy is cuddling and playing with her Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Suso. She loves antiquing, exploring local historical sites, and visiting farmers' markets.
E-mail: amy.nelson@indwes.edu