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PROFESSIONAL

Gregory D. Jones, Jr.​​​​

Professor, Duquesne University, Department of Theology

Education

  • Ph.D. in Systematic Theology, Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit (2023)

Dissertation: Contestant Theology: Toward a Play Theology of Religions
Directors: Daniel P. Scheid, Marinus C. Iwuchukwu
Committee: Anna Floerke-Scheid, William M. Wright, IV

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  • M.A. in Theology, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Valedictorian (2017)

Thesis: Homo Resumens: Play Theology Unearths Openness to the Sabbath
Director: Rev. Dr. John P. Burgess

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  • B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2005),

Magna Cum Laude

Academic Employment

  • Professor, Duquesne University (2022)

  • ​Teaching Fellow, Duquesne University (2020-2022)

  • ​Graduate Teaching Assistant, Duquesne University

Publications

Book Chapters

  • “Final FantaSi’ VII: Role-Playing the Eco-Ethics of Laudato Si’” in The World of Final Fantasy VII: Essays on the Game and its Legacy, edited by Jason C. Cash, Craig T. Olsen, and Matthew W. Kapell. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2023.
     

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  • Video Gaming Faith: Playing Out Theologies of Religions,” Religions. 2022, 13, 944. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13100944.

  • “Sabbath-Keeping is Child’s Play: Exploring The Symbiosis of Play and the Sabbath,” Pittsburgh Theological Journal. Autumn 2018: 111-136.

  • “There Can Only Be One: Canaanite Influences On Psalm 82,” Pittsburgh Theological Journal. Autumn 2017: 75-94.

  • “The Ethics of Remembering,” Pittsburgh Theological Journal. Spring 2016: 78-92.

  • “Embracing the Mystery of the Divine,” Pittsburgh Theological Journal. Spring 2015:  10-21.


Book Reviews

  • Review of Connor Kelly’s The Fullness of Free Time: A Theological Account Leisure and Recreation in the Moral Life in Journal of Moral Theology (June)

  • Review of Patrick M. Kelly’s Youth Sport and Spirituality: Catholic Perspectives in  Religious Studies Review (25 Apr.)
     

Conference Presentations

  • “Render Unto Google What Belongs to Google (Nothing): Cyber-Cleanse as a Spiritual Practice,” Crash Course at Mid-Atlantic PCA/ACA 2025, Philadelphia, PA (8 Nov.)

  • “X-Ousia: Authority, Power, and Dominion in the X-Men’s Krakoan Age,” Mid-Atlantic PCA/ACA 2025, Philadelphia, PA (6 Nov.)

  • “X-Schatology: Theologically Reading the End of X-Men’s Krakoan Age,” PCA/ACA Conference 2025, New Orleans, LA (Apr. 16-19)

  • “The Way of X: The Mutant Spirituality of The Spark,” Southwest PCA/ACA 46th Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM (21 Feb.)

  • “The Cusanus Game vs. The Shift: Differing Dimensions and Directions in Christian Multiversalism,” Mid-Atlantic PCA/ACA 2024, Atlantic City, NJ (7-9 Nov.)

  • “Immortal X-Men: The Mutant Metaphor of Immortality,” PCA/ACA Conference 2024, Chicago, IL (28 Mar.)

  • “‘And Move’: Holding Other Religions Lightly as ‘Conspirators’,” Southwest Commission on Religious Studies Annual Conference, Irving, TX (2 Mar.)

  • “RPG-ing the Interreligious Encounter,” Southwest PCA/ACA 45th Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM (22 Feb.)

  • "'For We Too Are His Offspring': Pushing the Buttons With Differing Others in Interreligious Relationality,” Mid-Atlantic PCA/ACA 2023, Philadelphia, PA (9 Nov.)

  • “And Have Our Being: Breathing With Other Religions as ‘Con’ Artists,” PCA/ACA Conference 2023, San Antonio, TX (4 Apr.)

  • “Somewhere in Between: Outplaying Sin and Death in the Law of the Spirit,” Southwest PCA/ACA 44th Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM (25 Feb.)

  • “The Space Between the Single-Winged Angels: Xenogears Frames the Interreligious Encounter,” Mid-Atlantic PCA/ACA 2022 Virtual Conference, (10 Nov.)

  • “Fighting Fear into Friendship: Goku Embodies the Interreligious Encounter,” Midwest PCA/ACA, Chicago, IL (14 Oct.)

  • “Contestant Theology: Toward a Play Theology of Religions,” PCA/ACA Virtual Conference 2022 (15 Apr.)

  • “Super Apocalypto 64: Inhabiting Revelation as a Video Game Made of Sacred Words” Far West PCA/ACA 34th Annual Conference, (Virtual) Las Vegas, NV (5 Mar.)

  • “‘Is That Even Your Own Idea?’” A Biblio-Theological Consideration of The S3 Plan in Metal Gear Solid 2,” Mid-Atlantic PCA/ACA 2021 Virtual Conference, (12 Nov.)

  • "Leaving the World the Way It Is: A Biblio-Theological Consideration of the Ethics of The Boss's Vision in the Metal Gear Solid Series,” Midwest PCA/ACA, Minneapolis, MN (8 Oct.)

  • “Can Retrogaming Be a Spiritual Experience? Toward a Retrogame Theology!” The Popular/American Culture Association in the South, (Virtual) New Orleans, LA (1 Oct.)

  • “Video Gaming Faith: Playing Out Theologies of Religions,” PCA/ACA Virtual Conference 2021 (4 June)

  • “Digital Theophany: Enoch as Adaptable Player and Imprecise Playground,” Southwest PCA/ACA 42nd Annual Conference, (Virtual) Albuquerque, NM (22 Feb.)

  • “Foucault Fantasy VI: A Role Playground for Postcolonial Thought,” Far West PCA/ACA 33rd Annual Conference, (Virtual) Las Vegas, NV (20 Feb.)

  • “Video Gaming Enoch: Playing Out a Theophanic Narrative,” Midwest PCA/ACA, (Virtual) Minnesota, MN (2 Oct.)

  • “Ethitainment: Pop-Culture Confronts the Moral Oddness in John Rawls's Theory of  Justice,” Far West PCA/ACA' 32nd Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV (22 Feb.)

  • “Final FantaSi' VII: Role-Playing the Eco-Ethics of Laudato Si,'“ Mid-Atlantic Popular &  American Culture Association 2019 Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA (7 Nov.)
     

Upcoming Projects

  • 2025-2026:    Chapter for Black Apologetics: Reflections on the Viability of Christian Faith

  • 2025-2026:    Book: Navigating Interreligious Encounters with Play and Pop Culture

Teaching Experience

Duquesne University
Undergraduate:

  • BRDGS 105T: Introduction to Ethical Reasoning (Spring 2023, 2025; Fall 2023, 2024)

  • HONR 154-01: Will We Find Faith in Media? (Fall 2021)

  • UCOR 141-02: Biblical and Historical Perspectives (Spring 2021)

  • UCOR 143: Global and Cultural Perspectives (Fall 2018, 2020; Summer 2023)

  • THEO 101-01: Introduction to Christian Theology (Fall 2025)

  • THEO 142: Theological Views of the Person (Fall 2018, 2023)

  • THEO 143: Religions of the World (Summer 2024, 2025; Fall 2024, 2025)

  • THEO 152-02: Theological Ethics (Fall 2019, 2022; Spring 2020)

  • THEO 216-01: Religion, Media, and Pop-Culture (Spring 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

  • THEO 264: Religion and Global Conflict (Fall 2019)

  • THEO 283-01: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Dialogue (Fall 2019)

Honors, Awards, Grants

  • The Common Good Research Award, Duquesne University (2023)

  • ​The Robert A. Lee Church History Prize, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (2017)

  • The Sylvester S. Marvin Memorial Fellowship, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (2017)

  • The Thomas Jamison Scholarship, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (2017)

  • The Ford Lewis and Marion Davis Battles Scholarship, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (2016)

  • The Carl A. Hiaasen Honors Scholarship, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (2014)

Professional Memberships

  • American Academy of Religion (AAR)

  • Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA)

  • Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (SWPCA)

  • Popular Culture Association (PCA/ACA)

Academic Service

  • Duquesne University Grefenstette Center National Research Scholar (2025-2026)

  • Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association, Board Member (2025—)

  • Duquesne University Theology Graduate Organization, President (2019-2022)

  • Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Church History Professor Search Committee (2016)

Church and Community Service

Church

First Baptist Church of Bridgeville, PA

  • Webmaster: Maintains the web page, provides YouTube recordings of services and studies (2013— )

  • Sunday School Coordinator: plans, conducts, and evaluates the Sunday School (2005—)   

  • Sunday School Teacher: leads weekly in-person lessons and creates online lesson recordings/summaries using the Urban Ministries, Inc. Curriculum. 

  • Vacation Bible School Coordinator: purchasing supplies, enlisting assistance, and developing an original curriculum for the summer VBS

 

Community

TheOne MusicFest:

  • Moderator, “Building Bridges” Discussion Series (2021)

  • Master of Ceremonies, Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration (2018—)

Media Appearances

Other Employment

  • Senior Production Coordinator, VITAC Closed Captioning, Canonsburg, PA (2005-2014)

Additional Information

Languages

  • Koine Greek, Biblical Hebrew, English

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Research and Other Interests

  • Theological: Play Theology/Theology of Play, Theologies of Religions, Christian Metaphysics

  • Global: World Christianity and World Religions

  • Cultural: Religion and Pop-Culture Studies, Theology and Game Studies

  • Biblical: Old/New Testament Studies

  • Historical: Patristic and Medieval Christian Spirituality, American Religious Biographies

  • Ethics: Global Restorative Justice Paradigm, Christian and Philosophical Stances

  • Other: Video Gaming, Virtual Worlds, Jogging, Comics/Graphic Novels, Landscaping

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