Alphonso F. Saville, IV
Assistant Professor of American Religious History and Mission
Email: Alphonso.Saville@upsem.edu
Location: Charlotte
Department: History
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Email: Alphonso.Saville@upsem.edu
Location: Charlotte
Department: History
Emory University, Ph.D.
Memphis Theological Seminary, M.A.
New York University, B.A.
Alphonso F. Saville, IV is a scholar of American religion whose research focuses on the legacies of slavery in American religion, African American Christianity, and the religions and literature of the African diaspora. His book, The Gospel of John Marrant: Conjuring Christianity in the Black Atlantic, is the first full-length study of North America’s first black ordained minister, the Reverend John Marrant. It is scheduled for publication in August 2024 in the Religious Cultures of African and African Diaspora People series at Duke University Press.
Dr. Saville was previously an Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral fellow for American Religion and Slavery in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Georgetown University, and also the 2014-15 Thurgood Marshall Dissertation Fellowship in African and African American Studies at Dartmouth College. Before joining the faculty at UPSem, he served as an Associate Research Scholar with The Crossroads Project at the Center for Culture, Society, and Religion at Princeton University.
Dr. Saville’s well-established ties to local communities demonstrate his commitment to the work of repair in the classroom and beyond. In his hometown of Memphis, TN, he spearheaded youth development programs and initiatives as the Director of Community Engagement at Memphis Athletic Ministries, and Lead Organizer at Shelby County Interfaith. Additionally, he has served as a Site Coordinator for the District of Columbia Board of Elections and conducted numerous education and training workshops for church and ministry leaders in the Washington, D.C. area.
Dr. Saville earned a Bachelor of Arts at New York University, an Master of Arts at Memphis Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Emory University. He currently resides in greater Washington, D.C. area with his wife, Jasmin, and their daughter, Angela.
