Most of my funded research aims to help societies navigate religious pluralism and foster inclusive democratic practices. My books on secularization (2015) and deliberative democracy (2022) respond to rising religious strife with models of more resilient communicative forums. Two more monographs on book history (2017, 2022) trace how religions adapt to technological change. Most recently, I’ve led the Religions journal special issue on situating religious cognition, and published another book that fosters cognitive empathy in the study of religion (2025). Persistent throughout all my writing is a materialist interest in bridging philosophical rigor with practical relevance.

My courses draw on this expertise to teach students habits of mind to thrive in diverse societies. This includes courses on philosophy of relationships, democracy and diversity, philosophy of religion, world religions and ethics of emerging technologies. I also supervise research students on these and related topics. From 2024-26, I am the Deputy Head of School Teaching and Learning at the University of Newcastle’s School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences, where I lead several committees to enhance graduate outcomes through data-driven deliberative decision-making practices.