J. Douglas Krider

I’m a Texan by birth, a Pennsylvanian by choice, and a North Carolinian by the grace of God. Pennsylvania has been my home for 25+ years. While in State College I’ve worked as a public school educator and served as a worship pastor and campus minister for two local churches in the Penn State area.

My varied academic background represents several life passions: music, German, and theology. I’ve performed as a clarinetist in various symphony orchestras and taught at Bucknell University. My Master’s work focused on German post-war youth as portrayed in 1950s German film (Der deutsche Film in den 1950er Jahren: Vorgeschichte und Beispiele einer vaterlosen, verfilmten Generation). In 2020, the opportunity to pursue a ThD degree at Evangelical Seminary intrigued me to pursue studies in theological anthropology and personhood. I intend to research and develop a model of healthy personhood in light of modern psychological and neurological science combined with the theological and spiritual emphases of St. Maximus the Confessor.

My general interests include the relational aspects of attachment and addiction, spiritual mentoring, patristics, Eastern Orthodoxy, and current conversation around the eschatological concerns of the person such as ultimate restoration. My faith journey has moved from my family’s long heritage in the Southern Baptist Church, then serving as the director of music in the Presbyterian Church (USA), to non-denominational charismatic and house church congregations.

I am a highly relational person with a strong value for healthy interpersonal connections. That being the case, I love travel, food, and opportunities for fellowship and deep theological chats over craft beer, whiskey, and cigars. Also, while spending time with me and my writing, you are very likely to come across pertinent Star Trek references. God has designed us to “Live Long and Prosper.”