Dr. Allen Carden

As both a teacher of history at the college and university level for over four decades, and a researcher and writer of history, my love for studying the past and sharing my insights has only increased with time.  A great history class in my junior year of high school grabbed my interest and helped establish a trajectory that has been so much more than a job; it has been an adventure, a passion, and I would even say a ministry in which the search for truth and exposure of historical error has fascinated me.  I love taking complex historical events and persons and trying to make them understandable and relevant to my students. It is my privilege to be not only an instructor of continuing education courses for Fresno Pacific University, but also to be a full-time professor of history at this fine institution.  One of the joys of my professional life life has been developing 17 courses for FPU's continuing education offerings, primarily in history but also in education and cross-cultural studies.  Enriching the fund of knowledge for teachers through these courses has been very satisfying.

I love developing courses and working with students. “Learning” is such a great way to make a living!

Professional Experience: Higher education teaching and administration since 1971

Personal Experience: Significant international travel over the years; Many trips taken with student groups

Scholarly Interests: History of just about anything; Special interests in early American and European history; Lincoln

Publications: Three books in history and numerous articles in history journals

Recommended Reading: Anything by American historians David McCullough or Edmund S. Morgan

Favorite Bible Verse: Too many great ones to name a favorite 

Favorite Music: Classical; Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Hummel, and Brahms

Family Info: Married to Denice since 1970; two adult daughters and five grandchildren

What Matters: Understanding and doing God’s will 

Pet Peeves: Arrogance coupled with stupidity

What I Like About FPU: Christian community coupled with academic rigor & location