Rachel Kessler is an Episcopal priest serving as campus chaplain at her alma mater Kenyon College and rector of Harcourt Parish in Gambier, OH. An "exvangelical" and progressive Christian influencer, she is known on social media as "The Nerdy Priest." In her previous life, Rev. Rachel earned her PhD in Old English literature from the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto, and she teaches part time in the Kenyon English department. In 2017 and 2020, she received the Kenyon faculty/staff LGBTQ+ advocate award. She is a founding member of Palestinian Anglicans and Clergy Allies, a grass roots organizatgion dedicated to uplifting Palestinian Christian voices in the wstern church. Rev. Rachel has been published in the Religion & Literature journal and has written for online magazines such as Reactor, Fidelia and The Wild Word. She lives in Gambier, Ohio with her husband Leeman (Tiktok's @MayorLovecraft), two children, and dog Bilbo.

Rev. Rachel is an avid fantasy and romance reader and watches far too much TV.