Professor Rachel Wheeler teaches courses on the Bible, Christian spirituality, ecospirituality, and spiritual practices. She earned a PhD in Christian Spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union and her other degrees reflect interests in monastic studies, literature, and music. She is particularly interested in the so-called desert Christians who lived in Egyptian, Palestinian, and Syrian deserts during late antiquity and her first book, Desert Daughters, Desert Sons: Rethinking the Christian Desert Tradition, offers a feminist critique of these Christians' practices. She is also interested in how people interpret their pro-environmental behavior as spiritual. An enthusiastic knitter and cyclist, she enjoys very much living in Portland, Oregon, with her spouse and two cats.
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Theological Union Berkeley
- Master of Arts, Saint John's School of Theology-Seminary
- Master of Arts, Humboldt State University
- Bachelor of Arts, Humboldt State University
- Bachelor of Arts, Linfield College
