Department of Religious Studies

Matthew McKinnon, Lecturer

Ph.D. Religious Studies, Marquette University

mjmckinn@uncg.edu

Areas of Academic Interest

• Modern Western Religious Thought
• Postmodern Philosophy and Theology
• Philosophy of Religion
• Religion and Contemporary Culture
• Contemporary Spirituality
• Religion and Politics
• Language and Epistemology

Personal Statement

The discipline of Religious Studies appeals to me because of its interdisciplinary methodology and perspective.  I understand religion—in its varied and complex cultural manifestations—as the attempt to make sense of the world and our place in it. Thus, Religious Studies endeavors to understand all ways of being and becoming in the world.  Furthermore, I believe that the practice of Religious Studies reveals as much about how we make (and find) the world a meaningful place as it does about those whom we observe.

Current/Planned Research/Projects

I am currently revising my dissertation on narrative anthropology for publication. I also am working on questions of naturalism and spirituality, as well as apophasis and a post-analytic philosophy of language.

Courses Taught

• Religion and Contemporary Culture
• Pluralism and Democracy in America
• Modern Problems of Belief
• History of Christianity since the Reformation