Areas of Expertise

Ancient and medieval philosophy, ethics

Background

Has been published on diverse philosophical topics in the journals Ancient Philosophy, American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, Carmina Philosophiae and Sport and Society. His current research is focused on moral psychology in Augustine and ethics in video-gaming.

Research Interests

Boethius; modal concepts in late ancient and early medieval philosophy; Augustine; ethics and gaming; what makes human life significant.

Education
  • PhD, Philosophy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • MA, Philosophy, Northern Illinois University
  • BA, Philosophy, Huntington College
Fun Fact

I began my undergraduate studies in a conservatory of music and would have laughed at the suggestion that I would one day be a philosopher.

Favorite Thing About UIndy

The plentiful opportunities to interact and work with quality students, faculty and staff.

Areas of Expertise

Anthropology of religion, religion in the Americas, new media and digital religion

Background

Has had articles appear in The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion and Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, among others. Served as an editorial assistant for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion. His first book, The Digital Evangelicals: Contesting Authority and Authenticity After the New Media Turn released in August 2022 with Indiana University Press. He's currently working on The Metaforest, a second book project that explores the complexly mediated terrain existing in the overlap between cinema, experience, memory, and metaphor.

Research Interests

Global Christian movements; emerging evangelicalism; religion and technology; digital media and mediatization; the body and embodiment; social theory; boundary maintenance; method and theory in the study of religion; religion and film

Education
  • Double PhD, Anthropology and Religious Studies, Indiana University Bloomington
  • MA, Religious Studies, Missouri State University
  • BA, Intercultural Studies and Theology, Evangel University
Fun Facts
  • I adore French New Wave cinema (à la Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda, and François Truffaut).
  • I play pickleball every chance I can get.
Areas of Expertise

Social philosophy (esp. feminism and philosophy of race), ethics

Background

Dr. Davidson's research focuses on the social and cognitive features of oppression and can be found in A Companion to Public Philosophy, The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, The Journal of Applied Philosophy, Fat Studies, Social Trust, Making the Case, Introduction to Implicit Bias, Overcoming Epistemic Injustice, and Teoria.

Research Interests

Social structural description and explanation, moral and epistemic responsibility, interlocking systems of oppression

Education
  • PhD, Philosophy, Purdue University
  • BA, Philosophy and Political Science, Wittenberg University 
Fun Fact

I grew up in Northern Minnesota in a town of 60 people.

Favorite Thing About UIndy

Sharing the joys of philosophy with students from a variety of majors and interests

Areas of Expertise

New Testament; Second Temple Judaism; early Christianity

Background

His articles have appeared in the Journal of Biblical Literature, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, New Testament Studies, and The Journal of Theological Studies, among others. He currently serves on the steering group for the ten-volume Ancient Literature for New Testament Studies series. His current book project examines messianism in the Gospel of Matthew.

Research Interests

Early gospels; the use of the Hebrew Bible in the New Testament (Intertextuality); ancient messianism; textual criticism and manuscript studies

Education
  • PhD, Biblical Studies, Princeton Theological Seminary
  • Visiting full-time student, Institut Protestant de Théologie, Montpellier, France
  • MDiv, Western Theological Seminary
  • BA, English Literature, Hope College
Fun Facts

A native Michigander, Dr. Johnson has also lived in Scotland, and (with his wife) South Korea and France.

Favorite Thing About UIndy

Working with students to read biblical literature in its ancient context alongside 21st-century questions.

Areas of Expertise

Theology; Trauma Studies; Gender and Sexuality Studies

Background

Dr. Jones is a constructive theologian whose research examines how gender, sexuality, and race shape Christian conceptions of God, human, and world, and how these conceptions, in turn, impact normative desires, spaces, and ways of life. Her current book project develops a theological anthropology and ethics of structural injury, addressing gaps in theological accounts of trauma. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Reading Religion and The Christian Century. She has been a fellow at The New School for Social Research in New York City, the University of Chicago Divinity School, and the center for the study of Gender and Sexuality at the University of Chicago. Dr. Jones worked in non-profit administration and program evaluation in the Chicago public schools before pursuing her PhD. She also has taught in college readiness programs and loves working with first-generation students.

Research Interests

Constructive theologies, trauma studies, social theory, interdisciplinary methods, in the study of religion, philosophy of religion

Education
  • PhD, Theology, The University of Chicago Divinity School
  • MA, Religion, The University of Chicago Divinity School
  • MA, Social Work, The Crown Family School of Social Work, The University of Chicago
  • BA, Bible & Theology, Wheaton College (IL)
Fun Facts

Dr. Jones spent her whole life in the Chicago area before moving to Indianapolis. In Chicago, she and her spouse fostered countless dogs and cats. She has two resident dogs, Finnick and Masil Basil.

Favorite Thing About UIndy

Studying religion with students from different experiences, backgrounds, and levels of knowledge; attending student sporting events. 

Areas of Expertise

Epistemology and applied ethics

Background

Has published papers in many philosophy journals, including Synthese, Erkenntnis, Dialetica, Journal of Philosophical Research, International Journal for the Study of Skepticism, Philosophia and Dialogue. Currently working on a series of papers on skepticism.

Research Interests

Skepticism; the relationship between inference and justified belief; the ethics of the current organ shortage; the ethics of abortion; teaching philosophy

Education
  • PhD, Philosophy, University of Nebraska
  • BA, Philosophy, University of Toronto
Fun Fact

I own more than 1,000 vinyl records.

Favorite Thing About UIndy

Working with philosophy majors and minors.

Areas of Expertise

World religions; political theology; scholarship of teaching and learning; educational technology

Background

With a split research agenda in religious studies and higher education, he has published in journals as diverse as the Journal for Cultural and Religions TheoryEducause Review, and Educational Technology Research & Development. He was trained in religious studies, theology, and philosophy, but has also worked in educational research with qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches.

See Dr. Willis's Publications

Research Interests

The intersection of political philosophy and religious practices and beliefs; continental philosophy (particularly Foucault and Derrida) and its conjunction with religion

In higher education: technology and methods of teaching, ethics of learning analytics, digital credentialing 

Education
  • PhD, Comparative Religion, King’s College London (England, UK)
  • MLitt, Divinity, University of St. Andrews (Scotland, UK)
  • BA, Theology, Roanoke College (Virginia, USA)
Fun Fact

I once met Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge when I was finishing my MLitt at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland!

Favorite Thing About UIndy 

Lightbulb moments with students and friendly collaborations with faculty members