Mary Ellen Ashcroft was an English professor at Bethel University and Kalamazoo College, and is now vicar of Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church in Grand Marais, MN. She has published a number of books, including Dogspell: The Gospel According to Dog, The Magdalene Gospel, and Spirited Women. She teaches a course using a narrative theology to invite people into Scripture, and is also an active wilderness guide and grandmother.