Alex is a graduate of the Religions of Mediterranean Antiquity subfield (degree conferred in January 2016). Before coming to Princeton, he graduated with a BA in Classics, Philosophy, and Religions of Antiquity from the University of Minnesota and with a MA in Comparative Religion from the University of Washington. Alex works on early Christian social and intellectual history, focusing in particular on traditions of scriptural exegesis and ethical instruction.

While a graduate student, Alex taught New Testament as a Visiting Professor at New York University.  Since graduating from Princeton, he has been a Lecturer in the department of Religion and has taught Religion 301 (Introduction to Coptic) and Religion 550 (Early Christianity in Late Antique Egypt).

Since leaving Princeton, Alex has taught at the Peddie School and currently teaches religion and philosophy at the Lawrenceville School.  He has published an edited volume (with Mika Ahuvia) entitled Placing Ancient Texts and a monograph entitled Heavenly Stories.

Alex’s research interests include early Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature, the apostle Paul, papyrology, patristics, Valentinian and Sethian literature, Late Antique Egypt, especially Coptic studies and monasticism, Greco-Roman religion and magic, the Corpus Hermeticum and the circulation of literature among Late Antique intellectual networks, and Hellenistic and Late Antique philosophy.