Brian Hillman

Assistant Professor

Name

Contact Info

Phone:
410-704-7114
Office:
LA 3139
Email:
bhillman@towson.edu
Hours:

Education

Ph.D., Religious Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, 2021

M.A., Divinity, University of Chicago, 2013

B.A., Philosophy, University of Chicago, 2011

Areas of Expertise

Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah)

Modern Jewish thought and philosophy

Religion and popular culture

The history of scriptural interpretation

Biography

Brian Hillman (he/him) joined Towson University in Fall 2023 after spending two years as a visiting lecturer in Jewish Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. At Towson, Dr. Hillman often teaches RLST 105 Introduction to the Study of Religious, a course that introduces students to five religious traditions (the Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions) as well as helping students develop the skills to study religion academically. He has also taught RLST 206 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, RLST 210 Introduction to Judaism, RLST 325 Jewish Graphic Novels and RLST 425 Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Judaism. He also teaches courses on mysticism, gender, and graphic novels in the Jewish Studies Graduate program.

Dr. Hillman's dissertation "Textual Authority and Jewish Modernity: The Case of the Lithuanian Mithnagdim" argues that the "school" of the Vilna Gaon (1720-1797) sought to defend the authority of traditional Jewish texts (e.g., the Zohar and rabbinic literature) in historical-critical and philosophical ways. He is developing it as a book project while pursuing his interests in Jewish Studies, religion and literature, and religion and popular culture. He currently serves as the managing editor for the Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy.

Selected Publications