Faculty Profile
Jeffrey Keuss
Professor of Christian Ministry, Theology, and Culture; Associate Dean, Seminary
Email: keussj@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2442
Office: Alexander 301
Education: B.A., Seattle Pacific University, 1987; M.Div., Fuller Theological Seminary, 1995; Ph.D., University of Glasgow, 2000. At SPU since 2005.
Prior to coming to SPU in 2005, Jeffrey Keuss was lecturer of practical theology and ethics and director for the Centre for the Study of Literature, Theology in the Faculty of Arts and Divinity at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. In addition to his work at SPU, he continues to teach as visiting professor of practical theology at Fuller Theological Seminary Northwest and is a regular contributor to The Kindlings Muse monthly podcast on Theology and Culture.
Dr. Keuss has published articles, chapters, and reviews on the interdisciplinary engagement of theology, ministry, and contemporary culture and is on the editorial board for the journal Literature and Theology (Oxford University Press). His books include Freedom of the Self: Kenosis, Cultural Identity and Mission at the Crossroads; A Poetics of Jesus: The search for Christ through writing in the nineteenth century; and The Sacred and the Profane: Contemporary Issues in Hermeneutics. He also has two chapters in Cinema Divinite addressing the role of film studies in theological reflection and completed a book on theology and pop music titled Your Neighbor’s Hymnal: What Popular Music Teaches Us About Faith, Hope, and Love (Cascade Books, 2011).
Teaching areas: Youth culture and Christian faith, Christian theology, Christian formation, evangelism and mission, theology and practice of youth ministry, and human development and Christian faith.
Research interests: Theology and cultural hermeneutics; continental philosophy and theology (Paul Ricœur, Jean-Luc Marion, Slavoj Žižek); narrative identity formation in youth; Gospel of John; Kenosis; theology through contemporary literature, film, and music; Zechariah and prophetic literature of restoration.
Selected Publications
- Cinema Divinite: Religion, Theology, and the Bible in Film (SCM Press, 2005).
- The Sacred and the Profane: Contemporary Issues in Hermeneutics (Ashgate Press, 2003).
- A Poetics of Jesus (Ashgate Press, 2002).
Why I Teach at SPU
Jeff Keuss, Associate Professor of Christian Ministry, Theology, and Culture
“I teach at SPU because I believe that education can be transformative. The moment a student encounters a new idea, text, way of reading Scripture, piece of art, new friendships, and the God who is behind all truth is a moment of grace. I believe that this happens at a place like SPU that transforms not only the student but also the community and world into which the student is called. To watch God work in such ways is an amazing gift, and I get a ringside seat to these moments as a professor at SPU.”