Amy Poppinga

Adjunct Associate Professor of History

Courses Taught

• HIS212U History of Islam
• HIS320K History and the Human Environment
• HIS328G Muslim Women in History
• HIS356 Modern Middle East

Educational Background

B.A., Bethel University
M.A., Luther Seminary
PhD, University of Exeter

Get to Know Prof. Poppinga

What’s your favorite book to teach in a course at Bethel?

Down to Earth: Nature’s Role in American History by Ted Steinberg is tied with Growing Up Muslim: Muslim College Students in America Tell Their Life Stories, eds. Andrew Garrod & Robert Kilkenny.

What’s one of your favorite places in the world to visit? Why do you love being there?

Hawaii! I love everything about it! Each island has its own personality and vibe. So many things to enjoy: the history, the blend of cultures, the landscape, the ocean, the lifestyle. I love being near and in the water. I would love to teach a class on Hawaiian history that synergizes colonial history/white arrival with indigenous culture and practices deeply tied to landscape and geography.

Where do you go to church? What’s something you especially like about that congregation and its ministry?

Our family has been attending Awaken West Seventh in St. Paul since December 2018. I see many of my former students from Bethel at Awaken, and I have come to really enjoy these interactions. I am convicted and inspired by our pastoral teachings, and I value Awaken’s approach to community engagement and how to be a positive and helpful servant in the world.