Dr. Book has taught communication in higher education for 13 years. Prior to coming to SEMO in 2021, Dr. Book taught public speaking and interpersonal communication for six years at Indiana State University. He currently serves on the executive council of the Kentucky Communication Association and as Co-Editor of the Kentucky Journal of Communication. In the spring of 2025, Dr. Book's first book Uncle Bud Robinson: Enduring Lessons from an Early Twentieth-Century Simple Folk Preacher will be released through Integratio Press. For more information about this book, please see the flyer below.

"Uncle Bud" Robinson Enduring Lessons from an Early Twentieth-century Simple Folk Preacher by Abram J. Book

Education

Ph.D., Communication, Regent University (2021)
M.S., Journalism, University of Illinois (2008)
B.A., Media Studies, Judson University (2005)

Courses Taught:

Research Interests

Communication in Religious Organizations
Crisis Communication
Fact-Checking
Southern Religious Rhetoric
Media Ecology

Quote

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." Oscar Wilde

Professional Organizations

Religious Communication Association
Kentucky Communication Association
Christianity and Communication Studies Network
Wesleyan Theological Society
Nazarene Historical Society

Best Advice for Students

Strive for the highest professional conduct and etiquette inside and outside of the classroom.

Publications:  

Book, A. (2024). "Be Persistent Whether the Time is Favorable or Unfavorable: A Wesleyan Perspective on Crisis Communication and Renewal Discourse in Local Churches."  Journal of Communication and Religion. Accepted for Publication, December 2024.

Book, A (2023). Bemusing Ourselves to Death: Using a media ecology framework toward a Postman understanding of Facebook. Artifact Analysis (2), 2.

Book, A (2023). The Anatomy of Fact-Checking: A cluster and content analysis of selected fact-checks by Politifact and Factcheck.org.  Better Journalism (1), 1. 

Book, A (Summer, 2022). Southern Folk Preaching: Suggesting the Existence of a Genre through Comparison of the Sermons of “Uncle Bud” Robinson and Fred Craddock.  Artifact Analysis (1),3. 

Book, A (2022). Give Me a Backbone as Big as a Sawlog: An Analysis of the Preaching of “Uncle Bud” Robinson—the Will Rogers of the Holiness Movement.  Kentucky Journal of Communication (40), 3. 

Book, A. (2019). New Journeys on Well-Worn Paths: Clarifying and Re-Applying Postman’s Media Ecology from a Judeo-Christian Perspective.  Journal of Communication & Religion 

Conference Presentations:  

Panelist. Discussion Roundtable:  The Highs and Lows of Peer Review: Being a Thorough Yet Conscientious Reviewer. Kentucky Communication Association Conference, September 13, 2024. Eastern Kentucky University. Richmond, KY.

Book, A. (Remote).  Making the Case (Study): Leveraging AI to Produce Relevant, Usable Case Studies. Teaching, Learning, & Technology Conference (TLTCon 2024). May 7, 2024. College of Charleston, Charleston, SC.

Book, A.  Be Persistent Whether the Time is Favorable or Unfavorable: A Wesleyan Perspective on Crisis Communication in Local Churches. Wesleyan Theological Society Conference. March 1, 2024. Trevecca Nazarene University. Nashville, TN.

Book, A (Knight, B, co-author).  “The Almighty Has His Own Purposes”: Abraham Lincoln’s Inaugural Addresses as Crisis Communication. Kentucky Communication Association/Tennessee Communication Association Joint Conference. September, 2024. Tennessee Tech University. Cookeville, TN.

Book, A. (March 2023).  Reasonable Grace: Reforming Syllabus Policies to Meet the Needs of a Post-Pandemic World While Still Maintaining Standards. Innovation in Teaching and Learning Conference. Rolla, MO. 

Book, A. (November 2022).  Southern Folk Preaching: Suggesting the Existence of a Genre through Comparison of the Sermons of “Uncle Bud” Robinson and Fred Craddock. National Communication Association Conference. New Orleans, LA. 

Panelist.  Infodemic: Social Media Influence on Covid-19. Broadcast Education Association Conference. April 20, 2022. Moderator: Dr. Stephen Kabah, Oakwood University. (Virtual) 

Panelist.  Mediatized: Social Media Influence on Society and Culture. Broadcast Education Association Conference. April 20, 2022. Moderator: Dr. Stephen Kabah, Oakwood University. (Virtual) 

Book, A. (March 2022).  The Anatomy of Fact-Checking: A cluster and content analysis of selected fact-checks by Politifact and Factcheck.org. Central States Communication Association Conference. Madison, WI.  

Book, A. (November 2020) “He Being Dead Yet Speaketh: Reuben A. ‘Uncle Bud’ Robinson and the Importance of Narrative Preaching in the Age of Secondary Orality.” Religious Communication Association Conference. (Virtual) 

Book, A. (November 2020). Online Tithe-Giving and Church Attendance as Social Cognition: A Quantitative Analysis.  Religious Communication Association Conference. (Virtual) 

Book, A. (November 2019). “Communication Dynamics of the Decision to Leave Local Church Pastoral Ministry.” National Communication Association Conference. Baltimore, MD. Sponsored by the  Religious Communication Association. 

Book, A. (November 2018). “New Journeys on Well-Worn Paths: Clarifying and Re-Applying Postman’s Media Ecology from a Judeo-Christian Perspective.” Religious Communication Association (RCA) Conference. Salt Lake City, UT.