Meet Assistant Professor of Instruction Abbe Walker of the Department of Classics

Weinberg College welcomes Assistant Professor of Instruction Abbe Walker to the Department of Classics!

Where are you from? Where did you study?
I grew up in Orlando, Florida, and went to high school across the street from Universal Studios! I got my bachelor’s degree from Florida State University. My entire family went to FSU, including my grandmother, who went there when it was an all-women’s college. I got my master’s and PhD from Bryn Mawr College, just outside of Philadelphia.

What inspired you to pursue your area of study?
I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by fun, encouraging, and inspiring teachers at every stage of my education. Each one instilled in me a love of learning and led me in different ways to my current area of study—the ancient Greco-Roman world. In elementary school, my mom and grandma (both educators) encouraged my interest in writing. In high school, my Art History teacher introduced me to the ancient world beyond mythology. At FSU, my mind was blown when I took an elective course on women, children, and slaves in ancient Rome with the most dynamic and energetic professor. That class convinced me to change my major to Greek and Latin and I’ve never looked back.

Please describe your research.
My research focuses on ancient religions and transitional and marginal women in antiquity, particularly ascetic Christian women in the 4th c. CE. My book, Bride of Hades to Bride of Christ, takes an original approach to illuminating gender in antiquity by juxtaposing the metaphor of the ‘bride of Hades’—elaborated in various ways in Greek archaic poetry, tragedy, medical treatises, and epitaphs—with that of the ‘bride of Christ,’ the label applied to the life-long Christian virgin, particularly in the works of Latin church fathers like Jerome, Ambrose, and Augustine. I argue that both Greek and Christian virgins and their families made use of structurally similar rhetorical strategies in an effort to handle the problem of a girl’s denied or rejected status transition.
I’m currently working on projects on ancient lullabies and protective magic, as well as women in the 4th c. historical and apologetic work “On the Deaths of the Persecutors” by Lactantius. I’m also planning to collaborate with my advanced Latin students in the Spring on a commentary on an obscure Latin poem written by a medieval nun.

How do you enjoy spending your free time?
I love pop culture and am always happy to talk about books, music, TV, and movies! Since moving to Chicago, I’ve had a lot of fun checking out new restaurants (inspired by restaurants featured in FX’s The Bear!) and coffee shops with my husband and our dog, Willie. I also love yoga and running, and I’m planning to run the Chicago half-marathon in the spring (my 11th half-marathon!).

What is most fulfilling to you about teaching?
I love connecting with my students in a collaborative environment where we share excitement, curiosity, and insights as we make the ancient world come alive. Dynamic and engaging teachers are the ones who got me where I am, so I love bringing the same energy that hooked me into Classics to my own classrooms.