Chad Emmett

Chad Emmett, from Logan, Utah, graduated from Utah State with a degree in history and geography. He served a mission in Indonesia where he developed an interest in Islam and Arabic (which he ended up studying for five years during his graduate programs). He taught seminary (Old Testament) for a year at Viewmont High. He received a MA from BYU in International Relations and Middle East Studies.

For his master’s thesis he was recruited, along with one other student, to do research in Jerusalem as part of the Fall 1982 Study Abroad program housed at Ramat Rachel. These two graduate students were told that BYU wanted to demonstrate that the planned Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies would be more than just a Bible Studies program and that it would also be used for a variety of academic research in the Holy Land. The resulting thesis from that research was: “An Attitude Survey of Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center Students (Fall 1982) Towards the Arab-Israeli Conflict.” For his PhD in geography at the University of Chicago, Emmett spent a year living in Nazareth doing research for his dissertation: “The Christian and Muslim Communities and Quarters of the Arab City of Nazareth.” This research was later published in a book: Beyond the Basilica: Christians and Muslims in Nazareth. Emmett was first a professor of geography at DePaul University and then was hired in 1992 to be a geography professor at BYU.

Part of his motivation in getting a PhD was so that one day he might be able to teach at the BYU Jerusalem Center. After six years of teaching an Old or New Testament course each semester for the religion department, teaching a Middle East geography class every year, and publishing articles about Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Israel/Palestine, Emmett was invited to teach at the Jerusalem Center. His initial assignment was cancelled due to the second Intifada. He then taught Old and New Testament classes at the Jerusalem Center 2009-2010. The Emmett Family (Marie and their three children) had a wonderful year in the Holy Land. Professor Emmett blogged about their experiences. Here is a link to one of his many blog posts: http://beitemmett.blogspot.com/2010/07/galilee-summer.html

Emmett was later recruited by the Middle East Studies/Arabic program at BYU to teach a two week course at the Jerusalem Center about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to MESA students at the end of their Intensive Arabic program in Jordan. Sadly, that opportunity never came to fruition. Emmett is currently finishing up a book manuscript on the history of the LDS Church in Indonesia.