Sabbatical season is here
Plus, an Uneasy Citizenship update, forthcoming book chapters, and upcoming presentations
My sabbatical has officially begun.
For those unfamiliar, many colleges and universities provide faculty with an outstanding benefit: the sabbatical. During a sabbatical, faculty are relieved of any teaching and administrative responsibilities while retaining their salary. Faculty at universities with heavy research expectations often use sabbaticals to sharpen and complete various projects. Faculty at universities with heavy teaching expectations often use sabbaticals to redesign classes and improve their pedagogy.
At least, that’s the idea. The reality is, faculty can use their sabbaticals for whatever they want.
My employer, John Brown University, says this about faculty sabbaticals:
The purpose of the sabbatical is for personal enrichment toward enhanced service in the John Brown University instructional program.
My colleagues who have had sabbaticals in the past have used them to finish research projects, teach abroad, or simply rest and recharge after a busy term of service. At JBU, faculty are eligible to apply for a sabbatical every six years. I have been teaching, in one capacity or another, since Spring 2013. This is my first sabbatical.
Needless to say, I’m ready.
What will I be doing, exactly? God-willing, I will finish the Uneasy Citizenship book. I will present research at a major political science conference. I will observe several of my colleagues’ teaching in the classroom. I will be picking up my kids from school more regularly. I will take on minor projects around the house, including raising and integrating a few more chickens into our brood.
In short, I will rest.
What a blessing.
As for other announcements, read on…
I am excited to share that I have completed drafts of three chapters for Uneasy Citizenship. Another chapter is about halfway done, and two more are richly outlined. Two more are awaiting fuller attention. All told, I am on track to meet my December 31 deadline, with a target publication date of late-2023 through Cascade Books.
I have chapters in two forthcoming books coming out early next year. The first book, An Epidemic among My People: Religion, Politics, and COVID-19 in the United States, features a chapter from me and my friend Andrew Lewis, titled, “Precedent and Performance: Church Closures, Religious Freedom, and the Coronavirus Pandemic.” The second book, QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories, includes chapter from me titled, “Conspiracy Theories, Political Trust, and Christian Witness.” The books will be released in January and May 2023, respectively — preorder today!
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ll be presenting research on group attitudes and support for religious freedom at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, held this year at the Palais de Congrés in Montreal, Quebec. Expect more on that research later next month.
I was honored to be invited to give the Constitution Day Lecture at Union University (Jackson, TN) next month, on September 19. My lecture is titled, “After Dobbs: Judicial Legitimacy and the Future of the Supreme Court.” I’ll plan to share excerpts here after the event.
Finally, if you happen to be in the areas where I’ll be in the coming months, make sure to drop by and say hello! I’d love to connect with you in person.