Denison University is strengthening its commitment to the study of religion and Jewish history by welcoming Krista Dalton, a scholar of ancient Judaism, as the new chair of the Department of Religion.
Dalton brings expertise in rabbinic literature and the cultural worlds of Jews within the ancient Mediterranean. Author of How Rabbis Became Experts: Social Circles and Donor Networks in Jewish Late Antiquity (Princeton University Press, 2025), her research examines how rabbis and Jewish communities interacted with the broader societies in which they lived, including questions of social networks, hospitality, authority, and the formation of rabbinic expertise.
At Denison, Dalton is helping the Department of Religion expand its curriculum and create new opportunities for students to explore religion as a vital part of human culture and history. The department is developing a curriculum that moves beyond the study of religion as a collection of traditions, instead giving students tools to investigate how religion shapes — and is shaped by — politics, culture, identity, institutions, and everyday life.
“Religion is everywhere,” says Dalton. “It is part of how people understand themselves, build communities, and make sense of the world, especially in contexts we do not necessarily presume to be religious. Studying religion as a human phenomenon gives students a way to see connections that might otherwise remain invisible.”
Dalton’s appointment creates new opportunities for students to explore Jewish history and Jewish studies at Denison. Through her mentorship and courses, students can engage with the history of Judaism, pursue independent research, and examine Jewish life within the broader religious and cultural worlds of the past.
Her work also supports Denison’s efforts to build connections between Jewish students and community partners, creating opportunities for students to encounter Jewish history and contemporary Jewish life both academically and beyond the classroom.
For Dalton, these opportunities reflect what makes the humanities essential to a liberal arts education.
“The humanities teach students to ask difficult questions, interpret complex evidence and communicate with precision while approaching unfamiliar perspectives with curiosity,” she says. “Those are skills that matter in virtually every field and profession.”
Incantation bowls made in Dalton’s Jewish Magic, Mysticism, and Kabbalah course.
