Darren Elzie Joins R3

Having started his preaching ministry in the 1970s in the Church of God in Christ, Darren Elzie is now a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Memphis and a preacher in the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee. Called to the work of preaching and teaching in the church and in the world, Darren is active in adult Christian education at St. John’s and also works as an Instructor in English at the University of Memphis. Concurrently, he is beginning the writing phase of his PhD work in English with a concentration in African American literary and cultural studies. His Holiness-Pentecostal roots shape his research interests and academic work. Long interested in African American identities as performed narratives (especially in a religious context), his dissertation will explore the interpretive and theological dimensions of African American literature, with a particular emphasis on the literature of the Negritude and New Negro Movements. An active member of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, ASALH, and the College Language Association, Darren holds graduate degrees in Divinity, Library Science and Organizational Communication. He also has a graduate certificate in African American Literature from the University of Memphis.