John O. Hodges

See Also: Curriculum Vitae

John O. Hodges is an associate professor of Religious Studies who has taught at the University for twenty-three years. He served as Chair of African and African-American Studies from 1997 to 2002 and continues to teach in the program. He received his Ph.D. in Religion and Literature from the University of Chicago, where he studied under the renowned scholar, Nathan A. Scott, Jr. His interests continue to be in the area of religion and narrative, and he regularly teaches courses in religious autobiography. He is working on a book, Delta Fragments, which combines his interests in narrative with his love for his native Mississippi Delta. Autobiographical in nature, the book attempts, through various vignettes, to present issues relating to the Black Church, the Civil Rights Movement, and Southern folk culture. His most recent work on the Mississippi Delta is an article entitled, "Percy’s Lanterns: A Reply from a Mississippi Sharecropper's Son." Here, John responds to William Alexander Percy's autobiography, Lanterns on the Levee: Recollections of a Planter's Son, from the point of view of both a scholar in autobiography and as the son of sharecroppers.

John's greatest love, however, is teaching, which is evidenced by the number and variety of courses he has offered and by the various commendations he has received for teaching excellence. He continues to maintain contact with many of his former students long after their days at the University. He is an avid fan of Lady Vols Basketball and of Tennessee sports in general and has served on the University of Tennessee Athletics Board. Other recent activities include various speaking engagements and his role as Delbert Tibbs in the award-winning play The Exonerated, written by Erik Jensen and Jessica Blanks, and directed at the University by Kali Meister, as a benefit for Amnesty International

Education

• Ph.D. in Religion and Literature, University of Chicago, 1980
• M.A. in Religion and Literature, University of Chicago, 1972
• M.A. in English, Atlanta University, 1971
• B.A. in English and French, Morehouse College, 1968
• Certificates in French Language and Literature, University of Nantes, 1967

Fields of Interest

• Religion and Literature
• Spiritual Autobiography
• African American Autobiography
• African American Vernacular Literature
• African American Religion and Culture

Current Courses

• TR 353 2:10- 3:35
• TR 11:10-12:25 352 African-American Religion in the United States (3) (#001)

Contact Information

John O. Hodges
Associate Professor
509 McClung Tower
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-0450

Phone: 865-974-6983
Email: johodges@utk.edu