Stephanie Stidham Rogers studied archaeology in the Holy Land as an undergraduate in 1990 and became interested in the power of tourism and pilgrimage to shape perception, thought, and policy in the history of Jerusalem. Later, she returned there as a graduate student to volunteer for a Palestinian peace initiative. She has previously published and presented on the topic of American Protestant Palestine pilgrimage, while also teaching and lecturing on the topic. She has undergraduate and advanced degrees in American Literature, Divinity, and American Church History from Westmont College and Princeton Theological Seminary. She has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Asia and worked on the faculty of the International School in Manila, Philippines. She is a member of the American Historical Association and the American Society of Church History, where she has also served on the membership and program committees. Currently, she is an independent scholar and historian residing on the Gulf Coast.