Dr. Johny Miles Q&A

Teaching in the MLA since:				2017
Specialty/Area of Research:				Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Studies
MLA Courses Taught:				Superheroes Across Global Contexts Ethnicity & Language Anti-Semitism & Islamophobia in the US

 

 

 

 

 

 

How many years have you been teaching in the MLA program and what class or classes have you taught?

I have been teaching in the MLA program for 7 years, and I have taught the following courses: Superheroes Across Global Contexts, Ethnicity & Language, and Anti-Semitism & Islamophobia in the US.

 

Tell us a little bit about your specialty or area of research?

My specialty is Old Testament/Hebrew Bible studies. Work in this specialty has led to complementary and yet interdisciplinary research, e.g. postcolonialism, myth studies, and the matter of language as a means of representation.

How does your background inform your teaching and scholarship?

As an adolescent, I enjoyed reading the Bible and that would inform my choice of a degree later in college. My study pursuits gradually broadened beyond the Bible to explore methodological, historical, cultural, and social matters relative to the Bible and religion, and I integrate these in my teaching to underscore religion as a historical, social, political, cultural, and, in short, a human phenomenon. In addition, my understanding of religion and the Bible’s role in the West’s colonization of different racial/ethnic groups and their identity construction has informed the development of my Anti-Semitism & Islamophobia in the US and Ethnicity & Language courses.

Because religion is a human phenomenon, that quality also reflects in the cultural production of myths/stories. I loved reading superhero comics as a kid, and still do. When I wrote Superheroes and Their Ancient Jewish Parallels (2019), I integrated my two passions – the Bible and superheroes. Hero myths are present in every culture, ancient (e.g. Israel, Babylonia, Greece) and modern, and seek to address cultural concerns. It’s this understanding that informs my approach to teaching the Superheroes Across Global Contexts course.

 

 

How do you try to make the material in your class engaging considering most students complete their MLA degree 100% online?

I generally implement 3 assignments to facilitate learner engagement in the online learning environment: (1) a PowerPoint presentation where students work collaboratively on a particular topic to present to the class and that all students must respond to in discussion; (2) periodic threaded discussions on a modular topic designed for learners to demonstrate engagement with content and one another; and (3) periodic critical reflections designed for learners to integrate reading assignment material and other modular content and resources in response to a critical topic germane to modular content. Even so, I’m always open to other forms of engagement.

What advantages do you think there are to getting a Master’s Degree in the Liberal Arts? How can it be helpful in the “real world”?

Perhaps the greatest advantage, though admittedly there are likely many, to getting a Master of Liberal Arts degree is the breadth of diverse disciplines of study to which learners are exposed rather than simply concentrating on one discipline of study. The value of such exposure is that learners walk away from the program equipped to converse with others from divergent occupations and do so in an informed manner. It also enables individuals having gone through the program to identify major social issues discussed in class on full display within society whereby to engage such “real-life” issues critically, thoughtfully, and wisely.

What do you hope students walk away from your class having learned or gained?

The intention for my learners with all my MLA classes is that they recognize the topics and subject matter of these classes’ cultural relevance. Even a class on superheroes that, on the surface, may seem mundane and mere child’s stuff deals with some heavy-hitting, deep cultural topics like what it means to be an American citizen, prejudice and bigotry, feminine representation, race and justice, and the intersection of traditionalism and modernism, to name just a few.