Matthew Nelson

PHD CANDIDATE

Hometown: Montgomery, Alabama
Education: B.A. in Philosophy, Sewanee: The University of the South (Sewanee, TN)
M.A. in Theological Studies (Christianity and the Arts), Regent College (Vancouver, BC)

Thesis Research
Matthew’s research, under the supervision of Gavin Hopps, concerns the theological implications of American novelist Thomas Pynchon (1937- ). Matthew investigates the way that Pynchon’s postsecular fiction questions both secular and religious constructions of reality, and how his work is fruitfully considered within the Gothic literary tradition generally, and American Gothic (Poe, Hawthorne, Melville, etc.) specifically. The latter notably reflects upon the intertwining of the religion, politics, and technologies which condition us, and often through engaging with the legacy of the Puritans.

Other Information
Matthew has previously worked for a screenwriter/producer in Los Angeles and co-produced a film called Three Days of Hamlet, has led film and theology discussions at Regent College in Vancouver, and is interested in the intersections between theology, film (including long-form TV), and literature. He is especially interested in the possibilities of such narrative art to facilitate communication, mutual understanding, and Christ-like encounters with each other and with God.

He is currently an Associate Editor of Transpositions, and was formerly Editor of Regent College’s student newspaper, The Et Cetera.

He enjoys rock music of just about every kind, depressing and intense movies, and childish puns.

Contact
[email protected]