Emily Pothast is a multimedia artist, musician, historian, and adjunct lecturer in the Theology and the Arts program at United Theological Seminary. She holds an MFA from the University of Washington School of Art and is a current PhD candidate in Art and Religion at Graduate Theological Union. Her doctoral research examines the history of apocalypticism through a lens informed by art and media theory. She has previously taught courses at University of Washington and Graduate Theological Union and has given guest lectures at UC Berkeley, Seattle University, and Osnabrück University. In addition to her academic work, Emily’s writing has appeared in The Wire, Art in America, and Hyperallergic. She is the cofounder of the musical projects Hair and Space Museum and Midday Veil. 

PhD Candidate, Graduate Theological Union
MFA, University of Washington 
BFA, Midwestern State University

Peer Reviewed Articles and Chapters: 

“Magic, Money, Ink, and Blood: Mediating the Social Body in the Case of Simon of Trent.” In Religious Dimensions of Conspiracy Theories: Comparing and Connecting Old and New Trends, edited by Francesco Piraino, Marco Pasi, and Egil Asprem, 31-56. New York: Routledge, 2022. 

“Interreligious/Interfaith Studies: Defining a New Field.” Book review, Teaching Theology and Religion, 23(2020): 58-59.

“Learning from documenta: The Material Performance of Education, Nationalism, and Wealth at documenta 14.” MONDAY: Journal of the University of Washington’s Jacob Lawrence Gallery, 1(2018): 119-147. 

Research Interests:

Art and Religion
Ancient apocalyptic literature and its reception history
History of printing
Film and Media Theory
Sound Studies
Religion and Conspiracy Theories
Visionary Art and Mysticism