Beth Ritter-Conn

Biography

Dr. Beth Ritter-Conn earned her Ph.D. in Systematic and Philosophical Theology along with her certificate in women’s studies in religion from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

She holds a B.A. in English and a M.A. in Theological Studies, both from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. She has taught courses at Lee University, Pacific School of Religion (Berkeley), The University of the South (Sewanee) and Belmont. She teaches BELL Core and Honors religion courses, and she has led study abroad trips to India and Spain.

As a theologian, Dr. Ritter-Conn has the nearly impossible task of trying to put words to a mystery. She believes this work must be approached cautiously and humbly. She rarely finds answers but is constantly learning to ask better questions, and she is passionate about inviting students into this messy, wondrous work with her. Her research addresses theological dimensions of hospitality, embodiment, difference, and identity.

Dr. Ritter-Conn lives in Nashville with her husband Jordan, their son Noah, and their cat Georgia. She enjoys running, yoga, knitting, and anything that gathers friends and strangers around a table.

Select Publications:

• “Eve’s Holy Curiosity: On Being Saved from Certainty.” In Taking on the Cross, edited by John Ballenger, Amy Mears, F. Timothy Moore, Ben Sanders, and Graham Walker, 37-45. Norman, OK: Nurturing Faith, 2022.
• “Guests at Our Own Tables: Privilege, Paradox, and Southern Hospitality,” Review and Expositor, 116(3): 275-291.
• “Stress Eating: Anxiety, Hunger, and Courageous Love.” In The Body and Ultimate Concern: Reflections on an Embodied Theology of Paul Tillich, edited by Adam Pryor and Devan Stahl, 59-93. Mercer Tillich Studies Series. Macon: Mercer University Press, 2018.