Christopher Luna

Christopher Michael Luna is a Hampshire alumnus who transfered to Hampshire as a Division II student. At Hampshire he spent his time studying revolutions in Christian thought, print cultures and education. Since graduating from Hampshire in 2009, he has held a Lecturer position in the English Departments of two Chinese colleges, and has begun his graduate work at Harvard Divinity School. His current research interests center around the relationship between science and religion, especially as it relates to imaginative and visionary states of mind.

Biography
Christopher Luna dropped out of the California public school system in his Junior year, dissatisfied with the rigor and potential of the schools to facilitate his learning. He worked full-time as a graphic designer, computer programmer, and manager of several restaurants and cafes, eventually finishing a year of general education at Orange Coast College before transferring to Hampshire in the Fall of 2006.

Initially interested in Hampshire's excellent resources for the study of Artificial Life, Christopher immediately shifted his focus to an in-depth study of Christianity from the ancient world through pre-modern Europe, with an increasing emphasis on revolutions in Christian thought. As is the case with many Hampshire students, Christopher's interests evolved in new directions, culminating in a preoccupation with the revolutionary social capacity of various technologies, the impact of these revolutions on Christian thought in general, and the link between these revolutions and modern issues between Christianity, politics and science. Christopher simultaneously pursued what might be a minor at any other college in education.

During his time at Hampshire, Christopher took a leadership role in the small nondenominational Christian Fellowship, organizing large activities and leading weekly Bible Study sessions designed to empower members of the Fellowship to seek out answers to their religious questions and doubts on their own terms. Christopher was also the founder of a small discussion and debate group called From the Tree of Knowledge that met roughly biweekly for dinner and symposium style discourse on a variety of philosophical issues.

In his final year at Hampshire, Christopher's Division III project took the form of an in-depth study of John Milton's conception of reason and poetry in the context of the religiously and politically revolutionary 17th Century English government. The thesis explored issues of religious debate in political discourse, the difference between Milton's conception of a good Christian state set against the millenarian vision of his Puritan contemporaries, the poet's cynicism regarding human reason as an accurate basis for civil compulsion, and his vision of poetry as an alternative route to truth. The thesis also explored William Blake's reading and rewriting of Milton.

After graduating from Hampshire in February, 2009, Christopher taught English Composition in China. In the 2009 - 2010 school year, Christopher was a Lecturer and Coordinator of the English Department at Minjiang University in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. During this year, Christopher received the honor of "Outstanding English Lecturer" for the year, and spoke at the 2010 commencement. After leaving Minjiang University, Christopher has was an English Lecturer at the United International College in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province for the 2010 - 2011 school year.

In the summer of 2011, Christopher returned to the United States to begin his graduate work at Harvard Divinity School. He is currently a Master of Divinity Student studying (broadly) science and religion and religion and literature. He is also a Guest Scholar at Hampshire College for the 2012 - 2013 school year, where he is organizing an event series called "Encountering Religion."

Christopher is married to Tatiana Luna, a Hampshire alumna, and their daughter, Isabelle Clara Luna, was born on December 1st, 2008.

Hampshire Studies
Christopher completed his Division I requirements at Orange Coast College before transferring to Hampshire in 2006. Christopher began his study with Division II in Fall 2006, and with accelerated study proceeded to Division III in Spring 2008. He graduated from Hampshire College on February 3rd, 2009.

Division II
Christopher's Division II was entitled Translation and Dogma as Education in the Christian Church, and was chaired by Alan Hodder with Laura Wenk as a member. Alan summarized his Division II as having "centered on biblical studies and the history of Christian thought... [including] a basic program of studies in educational theory and practice fully commensurate with a college 'minor.'" Christopher focused his studies throughout on revolutions and uprisings in Christian thought.

His community service requirement was fulfilled through a combination of tutoring staff on web-based programming, leadership of the Hampshire Christian Fellowship, and the established of a student group and website for philosophical debate and discussion.

Fall 2006

 * Philosophy of Mind with Laura Sizer, Hampshire College
 * How People Learn with Laura Wenk, Hampshire College
 * Knowledge and Power in the Renaissance with Jim Wald, Hampshire College
 * Spiritual Ownership in the Protestant Reformation Independent Study with Jim Wald, Hampshire College
 * Elementary Biblical Hebrew I with Shmuel Bolosky, UMass

January 2007

 * K-12 Teaching Pre-Practicum with Beverly Bell and Laura Wenk, Hampshire College

Spring 2007

 * Designing Curriculum for Learning with Laura Wenk, Hampshire College
 * Elementary Biblical Hebrew II with Shmuel Bolosky, UMass
 * Christian Scriptures with Robert Doran, Amherst College
 * Introduction to the Hebrew Bible with Michael Penn, Mount Holyoke College
 * Sex and the Early Church with Michael Penn, Mount Holyoke College

Fall 2007

 * Books Have Their Destinies with Jim Wald, Hampshire College
 * Science and Religion with Laura Sizer, Hampshire College
 * How People Learn Teaching Assistant for Laura Wenk, Hampshire College
 * Echoes of David in Le Morte d'Arthur Independent Study with Shmuel Bolosky, UMass
 * Hebrew Bible Readings with Shmuel Bolosky, UMass

Division III
Chaired by Brown Kennedy with Jim Wald as member, Christopher's Division III was entitled Reason is a Choice. Initially conceived as an electronic essay that would be presented in a web-based format and give equal weight to its investigations of the concept of "reason" in the works of John Milton and William Blake, Christopher's thesis slowly shifted into a more in-depth study of Milton in his own context. While the discussion of Blake continued to occupy nearly half of the final thesis, this turned much more into a discussion specifically of Blake's reading of Milton, rather than a wholly comparative element, and there was a significant lack of contextualization of Blake's thought.

The thesis still made compelling arguments, linking Milton's politics in 17th century England not to an apocalyptic, utopian ideal, but rather to a vision of Christian government that would allow all men the freedom to struggle with good and evil on their own terms. The thesis presented poetry as Milton's alternative to human reason, and argued that Milton saw poetry as a revelatory experience in the tradition of Judeo-Christian prophecy that provided humanity with avenues to truth in many cases more reliable than human reason. The thesis also evaluated Blake's reading of Milton, especially Blake's understanding of what Milton meant by "reason," and Milton's position towards reason.

Marginally, the thesis was also interested in questions of intertextuality and the impact that revolutions in print technology had both on Milton's intellectual climate, and on Blake as an engraver.

An edited exceprt of this thesis, Reason is a Choice, can be found on Hampedia.

Spring 2008

 * Milton in 17th Century Context: Authority, Exploration, Choice with Brown Kennedy, Hampshire College

Fall 2008

 * Web Database Design for Literary Criticism Independent Study with Paul Dickson, Hampshire College

Professional Experience
Christopher has had a broad variety of professional experience: from the food service to web servers to the classroom. He is presently pursuing work in academia.

Before Hampshire
Christopher got his start at 16 when he dropped out of high school with "10 Seconds," a web design firm in Orange, CA. He began as an intern, but quickly learned enough Photoshop, HTML, CSS and customer service to be promoted to a full employee, and eventually branch out into freelance work.

This freelance work continued up until his time at Hampshire College, sometimes a source of primary and sometimes a source of supplementary income.

In addition to his programming, Christopher had a number of jobs in food service. Beginning as a shift supervisor for a small cafe, Christopher moved next into waiting tables, bar-tending, and eventually management of the front of house of an Il Cappo Ristorante in Anaheim, CA. This time in food service left Christopher a somewhat accomplished baker, cook, barista and mixer of cocktails.

After Hampshire
Since coming to Hampshire, Christopher has pursued work exclusively in web-based programming, and various forms of education, with a strong emphasis in the latter.

Information Technology
Summer 2008 - Student Worker, CORC, Hampshire College

Responsible for the migration of an internship database from a Monster.com-based system into CORC's present NACElink software.

Summer 2008 - Student Worker, School of Natural Science, Hampshire College

Drafted a prototype in PHP for a student-monitor system designed to keep track of after-hours lab use in the Cole Science Building.

Education
Winter 2007: Student Teacher, Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Middle School

Taught Middle-School students English (creative writing and Shakespeare), and served as mentor to a student's independent study on the fiction and realities of time travel.

Fall 2007: Teaching Assistant, School of Cognitive Science, Hampshire College

Served as Laura Wenk's teaching assistant for "How People Learn." Assisted with vetting potential readings, lead discussion on one of the readings, and offered office hours to give students mentorship in their final projects.

Fall 2008: Teaching Assistant, School of Interdisciplinary Arts, Hampshire College

Served as Constance Hill's teaching assistant for "Reading, Writing and Blogging About Dance" mainly as a technical advisor. I helped the class to establish Wordpress blog, lead two classes in the use of the blog technologies, and participated in discussions about the blog's aesthetic and use.

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010: Lecturer and Coordinator, English Department, Minjiang University

Taught courses in conversational English and English composition; supervised a staff of eight lecturers. Distinguished as "Outstanding English Lecturer" for 2009 - 2010. English Department Commencement Speaker.

Fall 2010 - Spring 2011: Lecturer, English Language Centre, United International College

Taught courses in English as a Second Language for academic purposes with a focus on academic writing; faculty advisor for the Choral Speaking team.