Christine Chaney’s appreciation of “The Brothers K” flows not only from the story itself but also from a scholarly interest in Russian literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, about whom she has written extensively. A key figure in the post-Stalinist revival of the Russian literary profession, Bakhtin was greatly influenced by the themes in Dostoevsky’s novel.

With degrees from state universities, including a Ph.D. from the University of Washington, Chaney says she has come to appreciate the value of a Christian liberal arts education. “It seems like just the right kind of model for higher education,” she says. A scholar in 19th-century British literature who became a Christian while in college, she feels privileged to teach at Seattle Pacific. “I love more than anything to engage students in what it means to be a faithful person deeply committed to learning.”

Chaney is associate editor of the scholarly journal Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition and Culture. Published three times a year by Duke University Press, Pedagogy recently received an award from the Council of Editors of Learned Journals for “Best New Scholarly Journal.”