ANDREW MICHAEL FLESCHER
1301 Sheridan Avenue, Apt. #88
Chico, CA 95926
(530) 894-0549 (H); (530) 898-5534 (W)
e-mail: aflescher@csuchico.edu
WORK EXPERIENCE
August 2006-present Associate Professor, Department of Religious Studies
(Religion, Ethics and Society)
August 2000-August 2006 Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies
(Religion, Ethics and Society)
Summer 2001-Spring 2006 Director, Center for Applied and Professional Ethics, Chico CA
EDUCATION
Brown University, Providence, RI.
May 2000 Ph.D. Religious Studies (Contemporary Religious Thought)
May 1995 M.A. Religious Studies (Contemporary Religious Thought)
Duke University, Durham, NC.
May 1991 B.A. Medieval and Renaissance Studies; History
SPECIALIZATIONS
Modern and Contemporary Christian Thought; Modern and Contemporary Jewish Thought; Comparative Religious Ethics; Applied Ethics; Theory of Religion; Philosophy of Religion
TEACHING COMPETENCIES
Contemporary Christian Thought; Contemporary Jewish Thought; Theory and Methods of Religion; Comparative Religious Ethics; Philosophy of Religion; Religion and Culture; Arts, Religion and Literature; Religion and Film; Hermeneutics
SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS (All Peer-Reviewed)
In progress: Book: Four Models of Moral Evil (under contract with Georgetown University Press)
Under Review: “Barack Obama’s Endorsement of Faith Based Initiatives: Bringing Religion to the Public Square in the Context of the Separation of Church and State”
March 2009 (forthcoming) “The Future of Faith-Based Initiatives,” Religious Studies News
Spring 2008 (forthcoming) “Representations of Belief in a Cinematic Medium,” The Encyclopedia of Religion and Film
Spring 2008 Book Review of The Ten Commandments for Jews, Christians, and Others, ed. Roger E. Van Harn, Dialogue and Alliance
Fall 2007 Book: The Altruistic Species: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Human Altruism (Templeton Foundation Press)
Fall 2007 Book Review of War and the Christian Conscience: Where do you Stand by Joseph J. Fahey and Torture: Religious Ethics and National Security and by John Perry in The Journal for the Society of Christian Ethics
Spring 2006 Book Review of Common Morality: Deciding What to Do by Bernard Gert in The Journal of the American Academy of Religion
Winter 2004 Book Review of The Priority of Love: Christian Charity and Social Justice by Timothy P. Jackson in The Journal for the Society of Christian Ethics
August 2004 Two Discussion Analyses (case studies), Case Studies in Community Health Care Ethics, eds. Joel Zimbelman and Becky White (Longman Publishing)
Fall 2003 Book: Heroes, Saints, and Ordinary Morality (Georgetown University Press)
Fall 2003 Book Review of The Ethics of Killing: Problems at the Margins of Life, by Jeff McMahan in The Journal of the American Academy of Religion
October 2000 Book Review of Proselytism and Orthodoxy in Russia, eds. John Witte Jr. and Michael Bourdeaux, Dialogue and Alliance.
October 2000 Book Review of Religious Freedom and Evangelization in Latin America: The Challenge of Religious Pluralism, ed. Paul E. Sigmund, Dialogue and Alliance.
March 2000 “Characterizing the Acts of Righteous Gentiles: A Matter of Duty or Supererogation?,” The Journal of Religion and Society. Volume 2.
Web Address: www.creighton.edu/JRS/2
January 2000 “Love and Justice in Reinhold Niebuhr's Prophetic Christian Realism and Emmanuel Levinas's Ethics of Responsibility: Treading between Pacifism and Just-War,” The Journal of Religion. Volume 80, no.1. pp. 61-82
October 1999 Book Review of Community, Liberalism, and Christian Ethics by David Fergusson, Religious Studies Review.
Volume 25, no.4., p. 394.
Fall 1995 Inclusion of paper, “Teacher as Authority and Mediator,” in Counterpoints: Issues in Teaching Religious Studies, eds. Mark Hadley and Mark Unno. (volume published by the Department of Religious Studies, Brown University), pp. 64-68.
SCHOLARLY PAPERS PRESENTED
October 2008 “Religion, Politics, & Obama: The Future of Faith Based Initiatives,” Religion and Politics Lecture Series, Fairfield University
August 2006 “Israel and Lebanon in Crisis: Examining the Limits of the Just War Tradition,” San Fernando Valley TAS Men’s Club, Northridge, CA
January 2006 “The Morally Ordinary and the Morally Extraordinary in Jewish Ethics,” Breakfast with an author session to discuss my book, Heroes, Saints and Ordinary Morality, Society of Jewish Ethics, Phoenix, AZ
January 2005 “The Consequentialist Approach to Business Ethics,” DePaul University, Chicago, IL
February 2004 “Augustine’s Privation Thesis, American Foreign Policy, and Virtue Ethics,” Amherst College, Amherst, MA.
January 2004 “The Contingency of Evil,” Society for Christian Ethics Annual Meeting, Chicago IL.
January 2002 “Taking Saintly Rhetoric Seriously: On Interpreting the Exhortations of Dorothy Day and Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Society for Christian Ethics Annual Meeting, Vancouver, Canada
November 2001 “Following the Suffering Saint,” AAR National Meeting, Denver, CO.
November 2000 “Religious Studies at a Teaching Institution: A Walk Through the on-campus Interview Process,” AAR National Meeting, Employment Information Services Orientation, Nashville, TN.
May 2000 “Staying the Scholarly Course,” Commencement Speaker, Brown University Graduate School Graduation.
January 2000 “Rethinking the Nature of Saints, Heroes, and Supererogation,” invited speaker, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
November 1999 “Characterizing the Acts of Righteous Gentiles: A Matter of Duty or Supererogation?,” AAR National Annual Meeting, Religion, Genocide and Holocaust Group, Boston, MA.
April 1999 “Correlations in Reinhold Niebuhr and Emmanuel Levinas,” New England AAR, Maritime Region, Andover Newton Theological School
January 1999 “Responsibility Beyond Duty: On The Blameworthiness of the Failure to Perform Works of Supererogation,” The Society for Christian Ethics, San Francisco, California.
April 1997 “Questioning the Compatibility of Religion and Human Rights,” New England AAR, Maritime Region, Wheaton College (awarded best graduate student paper at this conference)
April 1996 “The Theorist and the Other: A Methodological Assessment of Hick's Pluralistic Hypothesis,” New England AAR, Maritime Region, Harvard Divinity School.
SELECTED PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS GIVEN AT CSU CHICO AND CHICO COMMUNITY
October 2008 Humanities Center Forum presenter: “Barack Obama’s Endorsement of Faith-Based Initiatives: Bringing Religion to the Public Square in the Context of the Separation of Church and State”
September 2008 Humanities Center Forum presenter: “Praying to the Sun God on Machu Picchu”
November 2007 Humanities Center Forum presenter: “What Motivates Altruism?”
October 2007 CAPE Forum presenter: “Altruism: For Saints, Suckers, or Everyone?”
April 2007 “The Connection between Religious and Cultural Identity,” Presentation to the Humanities Center, delivered with Professor Daniel Veidlinger.
October 2006 Panelist for CELT session: “The Challenges of Greek Life and Culture”
April 2005 Panelist for Special Session for Founder’s Week: “Varieties of Service Learning”
March 2005 Organizer and Presenter of Special CELT session on Academic Integrity: “Creating Departmental Academic Integrity Policies”
December 2004 Guest Speaker at the Unitarian Fellowship of Chico: “What is Morally Required of the Merely Ordinary Mortal”
October 2004 Presenter in Conference on Teaching and Excellence (CELT): “Teaching Freshmen: What Works”
September 2004 Faculty Colloquium (Humanities Center): “Extraordinary and Ordinary Morality”
September 2004 Guest Speaker at Beth Israel Synagogue, Chico, CA “Tribal Affinity without Tribalism”
August 2004 Presentation to Professors at Butte College on Plagiarism and the Process Chico State adopted for drafting an Academic Integrity Code
April 2004 Presentation at Capitol Alumni Reception, Sutter Club, Sacramento, California on California State University’s Center for Applied and Professional Ethics
March 2004 Presentation to Rotary Club, Chico California, “Altruism and Altruistic Love”
February 2004 Faculty Colloquium (Humanities Center): “The Collision of Civilizations: Samuel Huntington and His Critics”
October 2003 Guest Speaker at Beth Israel Synagogue, Chico, CA “The Time that is Left”
April 2003 Presentation at International Forum “Just War and the War on Iraq”
July 2002 Guest Speaker at Beth Israel Synagogue, Chico, CA “Judaism and the
Problem of Evil”
Fall 2001 Moderator and presenter at “International Forum” on responses to 9/11
May 2001 Presentation to Ethics Board, Feather River Hospital: “Religious and Philosophical Perspectives on the Ethics of Passive and Active Euthanasia”
November 2000 Cape Forum Presenter: “Binge Drinking at CSU Chico: A Communitarian Perspective”
November 2000 Keynote Speaker for SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise): “Capitalism, Success, and the Ethics in Business”
AWARDS AND HONORS
Institute for Research on Unlimited Love
Summer 2005 Templeton Foundation Grant awarded to write The Benevolent Species: An Interdisciplinary Account of Human Altruism
Fall 2004 Winner for IRUL nationwide competition for best college or university ethics course (11 winners out of 70 entrants)
California State University, Chico
Fall 2006 CSU Research Grant
Fall 2004 Golden Key Honors Society Honorary Member (Teaching Award)
Summer 2003 Large CELT grant for Development of New Course: “What Motivates Altruism?”
Spring 2003 Chico California Rotary Educator Recognition Award
Fall 2002 CSU Faculty Development Grant
Fall 2002 CSU Research Grant
Spring 2002 Teaching Award: Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society (honorary member for outstanding teaching)
Fall 2000;01;02; 03; 04 Seven Small Celt Grants for Papers Delivered at National Conferences
Fall 2001 CAL grant awarded to enhance Center for Applied and Professional Ethics (designated to bring important scholars to campus)
Summer 2001 California State University Summer Scholars Research Fellowship
Spring 2001 Large CELT grant for Development of New Course: Religion and Film
New England Maritime AAR
April 1997 Allyn-Russell Prize for best paper delivered by a graduate student
Brown University
May 2000 Chosen to present Commencement Speech at Graduation (Ph.D.)
Spring 2000 Reverend William Ellery Arnold Memorial Dissertation Fellowship
Fall 1999 University Dissertation Fellowship (Richardson Fellowship)
Summer 1998 University Summer Research Fellowship
Duke University
1991 Honors for Senior History Thesis; Magna Cum Laude; Phi Beta Kappa
Spring 2007; Fall 2008 “The American University” (Co-Taught with California State University President, Paul Zingg)
Spring 2009 “Ethical Conflicts and Religious Values”
Intersession (January) 2008 “Are Creationism and Evolution Compatible?”
Spring 2005 “Religion and Literature”
Fall 00; ‘06-08; Spring ’05-08 “Introduction to Religion: What is Religion?”
Fall 2003; Fall 2004 “What Motivates Altruism?” (Honors Upper Division Theme course, Co-taught with Psychology Professor, Daniel Worthen)
Spring 2000; 2001; 2003; 2004 “Wealth, Power and Justice in the World’s Religions”
Fall 2000-04; Spring 01-04 “Ethical Issues and Religion”
Fall 2003; 2005 “Judaism”
Fall 2001; 2003 “Religious Freedom and Moral Evil”
Fall 2004; Spring 2005 “Faculty seminar on Martha Nussbaum, Love, and the Emotions”
Spring 2003 “Faculty seminar on “Evil” (course I arranged and taught to 11 colleagues from the departments of RS and Philosophy)
Spring, 2006; Fall 2007 “Buddhism, The Rejection of Attachment, and Love,” RS 213, (guest lecture for Daniel Veidlinger’s class “Buddhism”)
Spring, 2006 “Nietzsche and the Categories of Good and Evil,” Phil 321, (guest lecture for Robert Stewart’s course “Ethics and Human Happiness”)
Fall, 2005 “Just War, Realism, and Pacifism,” RS 148 (guest lecture for Joel Zimbelman’s course, “Ethical Issues and Religion”)
Fall, 2005 “Religion and Truth in Ethics,” CSCI 301 (guest lecture for Bob Britton’s course, “Comuter’s Impact on Society”)
Fall, 2004 “Samuel Huntington and his Critics,” RS 111 (guest lecture for Loren Lybarger’s course, “Islamic Religion”)
Spring, 2004 “Despair and Connectedness in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia,” Phil 192 (guest lecture for Troy Jollimore’s “Philosophy and Film”)
Spring, 2003 “Taoist, Buddhist, and Hindu Ethics” for RS 5 (guest lecture for Daniel Veidlinger’s course, “Asian Religions”).
Spring, 2003 “Tribalism and Religious Ethnicity,” Honors 10 C (guest lecture for Sally McNall’s honors connections course)
Fall, 2002 “The Narrative Genre of Post-Holocaust Literature,” Honors 10 C (guest lecture for Jennifer Elliot’s honors connections course)
Spring, 2002 “The Just War Tradition,” RS 148 (guest lecture for two sections of Joel Zimbelman’s course, “Ethical Issues and Religion”)
December, 2001 “Martin Luther King and Prudential Pacifism,” RS 148 (guest lecture for two sections of Joel Zimbelman’s course, “Ethical Issues and Religion”)
March, 2001 “Religion and Ethics,” RS 10 (guest lecture for two sections of Sarah Caldwell’s course, “Introduction to Religion”)
Course Evaluation Summary for all courses taught at California State University, Chico in all categories between fall, 2000 and spring, 2006.
Average rating on a 5 point scale (5 being "excellent," 1 being "poor")
“Syllabus explains the course requirements”: 4.8
“Overall knowledge of subject matter has increased”: 4.8
“Instructor presents material in an understandable way”: 4.5
“Instructor is well prepared”: 4.8
“Instructor follows syllabus”: 4.7
“Instructor is available during office hours”: 4.6
“Course assignments contribute to learning”: 4.5
“Instructor gives appropriate feedback”: 4.6
“Instructor communicates high expectations for student achievement”: 4.9
“Instructor monitors student learning throughout course”: 4.7
SERVICE TO RELIGIOUS STUDIES DEPARTMENT, CSU CHICO
Spring 2006 Department RTP committee
Spring 2002-present Organizer for Religious Studies/Philosophy Weekly Reading Group
Spring 2003 One of the authors of the Department Academic Integrity Policy
August 2001-2006 Director of interns for Center for Applied and Professional Ethics
SERVICE TO CSU CHICO CAMPUS AND CHICO COMMUNITY
Fall 2008 HFA University Leaves Committee, Chair
Spring 2008-present President’s Visiting Scholars Committee
Fall 2007-present University Faculty Grievance Committee Member
Fall 2007-present Research and Sponsored Programs Committee Representative
Fall 2004-August 2006 President’s Commission
Fall 2004-Spring 2005 Board Member, Humanities Center
Spring 2003 One of the Original Drafters of CSU Chico’s Academic Integrity Policy, formally adopted June 24, 2004
August 2002-present Member of University Academic Integrity Committee
Spring 2003-present Faculty Representative: Students in Free Enterprise
Fall 2002-Fall 2004 Judge: Annual Ethics Bowl, Chico Campus
August 2001-present Faculty Participant, CSU Chico Honors Program
May 2001-May 2003 Board Member of Feather River Hospital Ethics Committee
Spring 2002 Severed on Honors Coordinator Selection Committee
August 2000-2001 Board Member, Center for Applied and Professional Ethics
SERVICE TO PROFESSION
Fall 2003-Fall 2007 Editorial Board: Journal for the Society of Christian Ethics
Fall 2001-present Ongoing convener, moderator for concurrent sessions at the annual meeting for the Society of Christian Ethics
Fall 2001-present Referee for various articles submitted for publication in the Journal of Religious Ethics
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTSHIPS
September 1996-July 1999 Editorial Assistant for the Annual of the Society of Christian Ethics, (including summer) Editors: Sumner B. Twiss and John Kelsay. Duties includeorganization of presenters and referees for annual conference; editing of all papers selected for publication; editorial administration at annual conference.
September 1996-July 1999 Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Religious Ethics, Book Discussion Editor: Sumner B. Twiss. Duties include researching and compiling sources for commissioned papers; editing drafts selected for publication.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Academy of Religion
Society of Christian Ethics
Society of Jewish Ethics
REFERENCES
John P. Reeder, Jr. Religious Studies Brown University 401-863-3567
James Keenan Theology Weston Jesuit School of Theology 617-552-3765
Stephen Post Biomedical Ethics Case Western Reserve University 216-368-6205
Joel Zimbelman Religious Studies CSU, Chico 530-898-4741
Bruce Grelle Religious Studies CSU, Chico 530-898-4739
Sumner B. Twiss Religion Florida State University 850-644-0688