Rate My Professor Chris Franks

Christopher Franks serves as Chair and Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy at High Point University, where he has been a faculty member since 2003. He also holds the position of Pre-Ministerial Advisor. An ordained elder in the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, Franks previously served as a parish minister in Methodist churches in Dinas Powys and Penarth, Wales. His academic credentials include a B.A. in English and Religious Studies from Indiana University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa; a Master of Divinity from Duke University; a Graduate Certificate in Medieval Studies from the Catholic University of America; and a Ph.D. in Theology and Ethics from Duke University. In 2009, he received tenure and was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor of religion.

Franks' scholarly work focuses on bringing the resources of Christian tradition to address contemporary issues in Christian discipleship. His research interests encompass the history of theology and ethics, particularly in ancient and medieval contexts, as well as theological ethics and economics. He authored the book He Became Poor: The Poverty of Christ and Aquinas’s Economic Teachings, published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company in 2009. His peer-reviewed articles have appeared in leading journals including the Journal of Religion, Modern Theology, and The Thomist. Additionally, he contributed the entry on "Poverty" to the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Ethics in 2015, along with numerous book reviews. Franks has presented his research at local, regional, and national conferences. At High Point University, he teaches courses such as Early Christian Thought, Medieval Philosophy and Theology, Great Theologians: Thomas Aquinas, New Testament, Environmental Ethics, Foundations of Christian Ethics, and Globalization and Christian Ethics. He has chaired the Department of Religion and Philosophy, served on the Global Studies Committee, Educational Policies Committee, and Information Technology Committee, and advises students pursuing ministry.