One of my childhood heroes was Indiana Jones.

I mean, I loved Harrison Ford in Star Wars, but I think that was just, oh, practice for his incredible role as Indy.

And honestly, give me a fedora and a whip and turn me loose on the world.

I'm going to go find some buried treasure.

I think I was an aspiring archaeologist

just watching movie after movie

and just being swept up in the combination

of action, adventure, history, and usually religion.

And those four, that's like my dream.

Honestly, my life is not anywhere near as adventurous or action-packed as Indiana Jones.

But combining history and religion has been my life ever since childhood, where I had history

after history degree and studying religion throughout it all. Until here I am, my PhD is an American and religious history, and I teach religion for a

living. Now, I'm not the kind of professor that Indiana Jones was, definitely not as popular

with his students. I'm not trying to sneak out of my office the back door to avoid people.

Nor am I having the kinds of adventures out in the jungles of Mesoamerica

or the sands of Egypt like Indiana Jones was.

But he was an inspiration to me as a child and continues to be.

Now I know what you're thinking.

There are five Indiana Jones movies, at least five that have been listed.

To me, there's only two.

And to begin with Raiders of the Lost Art, which was, I mean, it put archaeology and history

and religion on the map.

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