by Jordan Swanson
I was fortunate enough to be one of the recipients of the Graduate Field Research Grant this semester, and I used this money to finance a trip to visit and access material from Harvard’s Widener Library. I spent seven days, from March 15 through March 22, in the Boston area on Harvard’s campus, searching through their library catalogue and scanning resources I could use for my dissertation research. Most of my focus was on older books that are difficult to access as well as some newer books that are a part of series that our library does not subscribe to. During this trip, I did not need any access to manuscripts, but in the future if I do need access to any manuscript materials that they hold, I have their system mapped out and I know the appropriate person to contact.
In addition to the time I spent in the library, I also had opportunities to network with scholars living in the area. On Monday I met with Dr. Michael Magree, who is an assistant professor in the Theology Department at Boston College. I had read his recent book, The Interpretation of Kenosis from Origen to Cyril of Alexandria: Dimensions of Self-Emptying in the Reception of Philippians 2:7, and he graciously took time to talk to me about the writing process as well as his experience dissertating. He also listened to some of my ideas about my own project. On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Andrew Jacobs, Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School. I have used Dr. Jacobs’s work in the past, so I had a great chance to discuss his work in relation to mine. He offered me some excellent advice on how to strengthen my own dissertation. Finally, on Thursday I had the chance to talk with Dr. Greg Given, who is currently an instructor at Harvard. During our meeting, we talked about the process of turning a dissertation into a book, including the challenges of doing so. This discussion also addressed the importance of learning new fields of study to support that research, and the job searching process. I was grateful to Dr. Magree, Dr. Jacobs, and Dr. Given for taking time out of their schedules to talk with me and to provide both encouragement and sage advice.
My time during this trip was quite fruitful. In addition to getting ahold of sources that will be useful for my dissertation, I was able to develop familiarity with Harvard’s library system, which will make it easier to return to in the future. I also was able to develop connections with scholars in my field from the Boston area who I can continue to interact with in the future and learn from.
Jordan Swanson is a PhD student in the Religious Studies department in the Ancient Mediterranean Religion track. His research focuses on Patristics, the study of Late Antiquity, the Origenist Controversy, Nag Hammadi studies, and the relationship between Christianity and ancient philosophy.