Joseph Ryan Kelly is a scholar of the Hebrew Bible whose teaching and research explore ethics, religion, and the history of ideas in the ancient world. At Â鶹ֱ²¥ College, he has taught in both the Search and Life programs, where his interdisciplinary courses bring the Hebrew Bible into conversation with the broader Great Books tradition. His forthcoming book, How God Became Good (Hendrickson Publishers), traces the historical development of the idea of a perfectly good God and grew out of his Life course, The Bible and Divine Morality.
Dr. Kelly also serves as Teacher Licensure Coordinator in Educational Studies. In this role, he guides education majors through the teacher licensure process and helps maintain the program's accreditation with the State of Tennessee. Drawing on his experience as a secondary humanities teacher, he also teaches courses in the Educational Studies program, including Teaching Humanities and Educational Technologies.
