BEN NEAL
Staff Writer
When Dr. Dyron Daughrity was a young college student, a simple question was asked in one of his religion classes. The professor asked his students if they thought that people who did not believe in Jesus Christ could be saved. This simple question sunk into Daughrity’s eager mind, and drew him on a quest to find the answer.
This mission has led Daughrity through several universities and degrees, to teach in exotic countries and eventually to teach about world religion here at Pepperdine University.
Daughrity was born in California, but grew up in the small town of Portales, N.M. He has always been a religious person, which led him to pursue his education at Lubbock Christian University. This is where his quest truly began, and he dived into the incredibly broad and fascinating subject of world religion.
Daughrity’s pursuit led him to Abilene Christian University, where he wrote his masters thesis on this very topic. He got his Ph.D. while studying and teaching in India, and Daughrity sees this as a significant period of learning for him. He taught a semester in Pune, India, which is near Bombay.
Daughrity said India was “completely different” than America, but this contrast allowed him to understand the country and its culture at an entirely different level.
Yet, his journey did not end at his master’s degree. After graduating from Abilene Christian, Daughrity went to the University of Calgary in Canada, where he wrote his dissertation: A Genuinely Human Existence: An historical investigation into the conflicted life of Bishop Stephen Neill up to the termination of his bishopric (1900-1945). From here, he was awarded four research scholarships by the Disciples of Christ in Canada, and was able to travel the world to do his religious studies.
He studied many different religions in his travels, ranging from Chinese Daoism to the Bahai faith.
With all of his degrees and experience, Daughrity has been given the title of assistant professor of religion. Each week, Daughrity lectures students in World Religions, Church History, and Christianity and Culture.
“He is a quality guy but he gives a lot of reading and it is a lot of information,” said sophomore Shelby Nirk. “He expects a lot out of us only because he wants us to really learn something, but overall I like his class.”
Junior Alison Clark agrees.
“The class is overwhelming with 90 minutes of lecture packed with names and dates, but if you can get past this you can see that Daughrity has so much knowledge that he is bursting at the seams to share,” Clark said.
These students show that Daughrity truly understands and loves what he is teaching, and really wants his students to grow and learn in his classes.
In the midst of all this studying, traveling and teaching, Daughrity also found time to get married and start a family. He and his wife have been married for 11 years now, and were recently rewarded with two 10-month old twins, one boy and one girl.
With his busy schedule at school it is hard to find some spare time to relax. “I enjoy doing research in my spare time like any typical scholarly person. I also like to just spend time with my family or play tennis,” Daughrity admits.
Daughrity has quite the support system out here in California. When talking with his mother, it was clear how ecstatic she was with the move to Pepperdine.
“We think it’s great,” she explained. “We have lived in California for awhile.”
Since her son has traveled so many places and was always studying in a far off country, his mother was clearly thankful he was able to find an excellent job so close by.
Although it isn’t the most difficult transition to make, Daughrity has definitely grown comfortable with his life here at Pepperdine.
“I just love it,” he said. “This is the place for me.”
With his incredible knowledge and passion on the subject of religion, the University is definitely happy as well. “Dyron Daughrity offers a welcome global perspective on religion in general and Christianity specifically,” said longtime religion professor Ron Highfield. “His addition to our faculty will greatly broaden our offerings and enrich our dialogue with faculty and students. We are excited to have him join our community.”
Daughrity’s quest has taken him all over to world, but it seems he has found his niche here at Pepperdine. His fascination and knowledge of religion has definitely had an impact on his students and colleagues, and his experiences allow him to connect on his subjects with a deeper understanding.
Junior Simone Bouffard summed it up best: “He’s very passionate about what he teaches and it shows.”
12-06-2007
