Richard Wolff
Richard Wolff, Ph.D. (he/him) Department Chair & Professor rick.wolff1@valpo.edu 219.464.5286 SCH 30
Education
Ph. D. in Mass Communication- Ohio University
S.T.M. in Church History- Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadephia
M.A. in Communication and Theology- Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
B.A. Hons. in Theology, and Media Production Arts- Valparaiso University
Cert. in Digital Video Production- New York University
Biography
Rick is originally from New York. He taught at colleges and universities in New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin for 25 years before joining the faculty of Valparaiso University, his alma mater. His research interests include religion, media, and boxing. Rick is the author of two books. His first is The Church on TV: Portrayals of Priests, Pastors, and Nuns on American Television Series, which examines televisual depictions of the church and its leaders throughout American TV history, comparing these to actual church history in order to discern why popular culture presents the image of the church that it does. His second book is Fight Sports and the Church: Boxing and Martial Arts Ministries in America, which looks at historical, cultural, ethical, practical, and theological perspectives on fight sports ministries. This includes reflection on fictional, documentary, and news media depictions of boxing, ministry, and the church. Rick has published articles in The Journal of Religion and Media, The Journal of Religion and Film, The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, The Journal of Radio Studies, Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology, and The Journal of Popular Film and Television. Among the courses he has taught are: basic and advanced classes in media studies and speech; digital video production and editing; horror films; the films of Alfred Hitchcock; religion and media; and boxing, media, and culture. He is currently developing a semiotic phenomenological research study examining and comparing how believers experience the Bible in both print and digital forms. Rick advises WVUR-FM, Valpo’s campus radio station, and the VU Boxing Club. He is a boxer, weight trainer, and cyclist.