Senior Lecturer in Philosophy
Short biography: Most of my published research has been funded to correct common misconceptions about religion, politics and ethics. My books on deliberative democracy (2022) and secularization (2015) respond to rising religious strife with institutional designs to inspire improved public policy outcomes. I produced two monographs on book history (2022, 2017) that provide updated models of how religion interacts with technological change. My early work on metaphysics evaluated seemingly simple reality claims to bring coherence to the perceived opposition between philosophy and religious thought. Persistent throughout all my work is the methodological aim to approach these topics in a thoroughly materialist manner. Currently, I’m leading a special issue journal on situated religious cognition, with another book forthcoming on Religion through the Eyes of Others (2025).
My courses draw on this expertise to teach students philosophical skills they can apply to thrive in diverse democracies. Next year I am coordinating a new ethics of emerging technology course for undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs. 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.
Research areas: deliberative democracy; ethical technology; extended mind theory (EMT); hermeneutics; metaphysics; methodology in the study of religion; political and social theory; print/codex information technology; scientific studies of religion; secularization theory; situated religious cognition; tolerance and antibigotry studies.
Education: PhD and MA, The University of Manchester
Phone: +61 (0) 2492.17927
Address: School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences, Office SR169, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
Researcher profiles: Orcid | SciProfile | Scopus | ResearcherID | PhilPeople | UoN
Disclosure Statement: In accordance with my university’s policies and as delineated by relevant Australian state and federal laws, I do not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, scholarships or employment on account of a person’s sex, race, color, religion, age, physical or mental disability, marital or pregnancy status, political party or opinion, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other category prescribed by law.
UN member states have agreed to seventeen global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. My work contributes towards SDG sixteen, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.