Education:

PhD, Religious Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara
MA, Religious Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara
BA, Plan II Honors in Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin
Research:

I study the power of religion in contemporary culture, particularly with regard to the interaction between religion and science. Other interests include the history of science, anthropology of science, contemporary art, literature, Christian history, and economics. Current research focuses upon the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, online gaming, and religion (primarily Jewish and Christian apocalypticism but also Japanese Buddhism and Shinto). 
Publications:

(in order of their composition, not their publication)

"Apocalyptic AI: Religion and the Promise of Artificial Intelligence." The Journal of the American Academy of Religion 76:1. 2008. 138-166.

"Cultural Prestige:  Popular Science Robotics as Religion-Science Hybrids."  Reconfigurations: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion in a Post-Secular Society (eds. Alexander D. Ornella and Stefanie Knauss).  LIT Press. 2007. 43-58.

"Spiritual Robots: Religion and Our Scientific View of the Natural World."  Theology and Science 4:3 (November 2006). 229-246. 

"Robots and the Sacred in Science and Science Fiction: Theological Implications of Artificial Intelligence."  Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science 42:4 (December 2007). 961-980. 

"Signaling Static:  Artistic, Religious and Scientific Truths in a Relational Ontology."  Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science 40: 4 (December 2005). 953-974.

"Laboratory Ritual:  Experimentation and the Advancement of Science."  Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science 37: 4 (December 2002). 891-908. 
Popular Publication:

“Religion for the Robots.” Sightings. Published by the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago. June 14, 2007.

Courses Taught:

RELS 110  The Nature and Experience of Religion
RELS 300  Gnosticism
RELS 400  Religion and Contemporary Art
RELS 425  Religion and Psychology
RELS 463  Religion and Science
RELS 480  Independent Study: Virtual Lives and Virtual Worlds (Ethics and the Divine
                  in Robotics and AI)
RELS 480  Independent Study: The Death of God and Sexuality in Modern Art
Grants, Awards and Appointments:

Visiting Researcher, Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute (summer 2007)

Manhattan College Summer Research Grant (2007)

New Visions of Nature, Science, and Religion Research Stipend (2005-2006)

New Visions of Nature, Science, and Religion Research Stipend (2004-2005)
Academic Presentations:

“Apocalyptic Artificial Intelligence: How Friends are Never Quite Friendly in Religion and Science” at the Manhattan College Dante Seminar, Riverdale, NY, October 4, 2007.

 “Apocalyptic Artificial Intelligence” at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute Philosophy of Robotics Group, Pittsburgh, PA, June 21, 2007.

 “The Human Machine: Dignity and Blame in Conceptualizing Humanity” at the Annual Meeting for the American Academy of Religion, Washington, D.C., November 20, 2006.

“Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and the Persistence of the Sacred” at the Annual Meeting for the American Academy of Religion, Philadelphia, PA, November 20, 2005.

“Robots in Science-Fiction: Technology and Twentieth-Century Holiness” at the Consortium for Literature, Theory and Culture Conference, The Sacred and the Profane, University of California, Santa Barbara, May 21, 2004.

“The Cultural History of Religions and Twentieth Century Temporality” at the Department of Religious Studies Research Colloquium, University of California, Santa Barbara, February 4, 2004.

“Revolution in Early Christianity: Social Marginalization in the Gospel of Thomas” at the Annual Meeting of the Association of the Sociology of Religion, Anaheim, CA, August 17, 2001.
mountains to climb



Back to the Home Page







Manhattan College Religious Studies
American Academy of Religion
UCSB Religious Studies
New Visions of Nature, Science, and Religion
Electro Art Works