I study religion, deviance, politics, and culture using a variety of social scientific methods. Within these general areas I specialize in some interesting specific topics, including (but not limited to): Christian nationalism, xenophobia, penal populism, criminological theory, theories of religion, secularization, “paranormalism,” public views of science, and supernatural evil. I have written four books delving further into some of these topics: Deviance Management, American Secularism, Paranormal America, and Fear Itself. I have also served as editor-in-chief of the journal Sociology of Religion.
| Course Level | Course Name |
|---|---|
|
Undergrad |
Introduction to Sociology |
|
Undergrad |
Social Statistics |
|
Undergrad |
Sociology of Crime and Punishment |
|
Undergrad |
Deviant Behavior |
|
Undergrad/Grad |
Sociology of Religion |
|
Grad |
Research Methods |
|
Grad |
Seminar on Crime and Delinquency |
- Current Research
-
Ongoing research includes work on Christian nationalism in white supremacy movements, the relationship between communal religious contexts and violent crime, and patterns of paranormalism in the U.K.
- Books:
-
- Selected Articles:
-
- Race, Xenophobia, and Punitiveness Among the American Public. Sociological Quarterly 59(3): 363–383.
- Hell to Pay: Religion and Punitive Ideology among the American Public. Punishment & Society 18(2): 151–176.
- Whose Moral Community? Religiosity, Secularity, and Self-rated Health Across Communal Religious Contexts. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 59(2): 185–199.
- Crusading for Moral Authority: Christian Nationalism and Opposition to Science. Sociological Forum 35(3): 587–607.
- Make America Christian Again: Christian Nationalism and Voting for Donald Trump in 2016 Presidential Election. Sociology of Religion 79(2): 147–171.
- Xenophobia, Partisanship, and Support for Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Race and Social Problems 14(1): 69–83.
- Immigration, Presidential Politics, and Partisan Polarization Among the American Public, 1992–2018. Sociological Spectrum 41(4): 287–303.
- The Flesh and the Devil: Belief in Religious Evil and Views of Sexual Morality. Review of Religious Research 62(1): 133–151.
- Desecration, Moral Boundaries and the Movement of Law: The Case of Westboro Baptist Church. Deviant Behavior 36(1): 42–67.