Associate Professor of English
B.A., Grove City College; M.A., Duquesne University; Ph.D., The Catholic University of America
Profile
Dr. Chris Pipkin joined Erskine College as Associate Professor of Writing in 2026, but he has been teaching writing and literature classes at the college and university level since 2009. He teaches a variety of classes at Erskine, including Freshman Composition and Honors classes. He enjoys helping students write and think clearly—especially about old literature in all its weirdness and unexpected humanity. His first academic book, Monster Relics in Medieval English Literature, was published in early 2026.
Research and Projects
Pipkin writes in—and teaches—a variety of genres and periods, but his work is almost always an attempt to see the past fairly, without demonizing or dismissing fellow humans or fellow Christians. By reclaiming forgotten perspectives, we can find ways to think about God and ourselves that are at once creative, traditional, and true. His podcast, The Inklings Variety Hour, is about C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and their circle. He and his wife, Glencora, also authored Twelve Tide, a guide to celebrating the traditional twelve days of Christmas.
Interests
Pipkin and his wife love to travel when possible. When this is not possible, it is usually because they are busy raising their four rather noisy but lovable children. When he is not working on teaching, grading, the podcast, or parenting, Pipkin writes fiction, devotionals, and poetry. He is a terrible gardener and has no pets.
Scholarly publications
Book:
- Monster Relics in Medieval English Literature. McFarland, 2026.
Articles:
- “Making the Glof Fit: Grendel as Craftwork.” Medieval Perspectives 36 (2022 [appeared 2023]): 1-11.
- “Love Without Mesure: Proverb Problems in the Lais of Marie de France.” Neophilologus 103 (2019): 207-321.
- “Monster Relics: The Giant, the Archangel, and Mont-Saint-Michel in the Alliterative Morte Arthure.” Arthuriana 27.1 (2017): 95-113. (Winner of the Fair Unknown Prize)
Creative Work
Podcast:
- The Inklings Variety Hour Podcast (2020-present).
Published Fiction:
- “Ghost Food.” Flash Fiction Magazine, July 29, 2023.
- “The Association of the Tsar’s Holy Protectors.” Spare Parts Literature, October 21, 2023.
