Tim Kircher
Mastering the past to shape the Future!
Tim Kircher
Associate Professor and Chair of the History Department
Hometown - Poughkeepsie, New York
I joined the Guilford College history faculty in 1989. I earned my B.A. from Yale College in 1982, and my M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University in 1984 and 1989 respectively.
Among various publications are articles I have written on Renaissance humanism and religion for the Oxford Companion to Christian Thought, Renaissance Quarterly, and Letteratura italiana antica, and a book I have edited in the field of philosophy and the history of ideas, G. Heath King's Existence Thought Style. I am currently writing a book redefining the place of early humanism in the history of philosophy and the Church.
Why a career in teaching history?
I came to study history as an undergraduate in college. My natural interests drew me to the humanities, and I consider that the expressions of culture - art, literature, philosophy - reveal a great deal about the times when they were produced. I therefore devote special attention to the history of ideas. Within this field I have studied and taught extensively about the history of religion
One reason I work at Guilford is because students here have the opportunity to advance their understanding of the world and the time they live in by engaging in discussions with professors and fellow students within and outside their classes; they can take advantage of instructors as eager to learn as they are to teach, and can readily move themselves to fulfill Francis Bacon's maxim that "reading makes a full man, conversation a ready man, and writing an exact man."
Tim's Courses
I currently teach European survey (800 to the present), and additional subjects in the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation.
Advice to Students
To read, speak and write only English is but one way of knowing the world, and students should consider learning a second language as a gateway to another culture.
Other Interests and hobbies
I enjoy spending time with friends, reading and listening to music, and photography. I also work out at the local boxing gym.
You can contact Tim at: tkircher@guilford.edu