John T. Carroll

My interests in current reading, thinking, and writing center on interpretation of the New Testament, especially the Gospels, as both challenge and resource for contemporary life and moral concerns. I am also exploring research and educational practices relating to mindfulness, as well as intersections between images of Jesus and popular cultural expressions and various religious traditions. As a teacher, I continue to be energized and challenged as I invite students to join me in learning new things. I especially value interactive classroom learning practices that employ inverted classroom methods. I have enjoyed competitive play in baseball leagues in central Virginia, "retiring" from that avocational pursuit at the age of 57. I became a switch hitter in my early 40s, and especially delighted in drag bunts for base hits from the left side and playing infield defense. I still enjoy coaching baseball with kids, including my son Oscar, who is 8 (in 2018). I remain active as a semi-professional classical musician, with principal trombone chair in the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra and the Richmond Brass consort, and also play regularly with the Virginia Commonwealth University trombone choir. My spouse, Maria Ramos, is a professor of English at Reynolds Community College and has taught me a lot about literary criticism, cultural studies, educational methods, and African American literature (her particular expertise). My adult children live in California (Andrew) and Oklahoma (Anna).