Arthur Versluis, Professor of American Studies at Michigan State University, holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and has published numerous books and articles. His research interests include agricultural literature and issues, American and European history, Christian theosophy, comparative religion, mysticism, contemporary political and ecological issues and intellectual history. His family has owned a commercial farm in West Michigan for several generations, and so he published a book called Island Farm about the family farm, and about family farming in the modern era. 

Versluis was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Germany, and is the editor-in-chief of Esoterica, an electronic journal at http://www.esoteric.msu.edu devoted to the academic study of esotericism.  He is the founding president of the Association for the Study of Esotericism.