Blanche Gorman Strong Chair in Protestant Studies
Department of Religious Studies
Missouri State University
901 S. National Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65897

I teach in the Department of Religious Studies at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. I am now thoroughly ensconced in the Missouri Ozarks, a fascinating place for the study of religion and popular culture. I also enjoy frequent visits to my wife's native Kansas (a place recently explored by Bob Wuthnow in Remaking the Heartland and Red State Religion).

At Missouri State, my courses focus on the sociology and history of American religion. I am completing a manuscript on the role of religion in American higher education with historian Kathleen Mahoney. I've also enjoyed writing for more popular venues, including the Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor's Patchwork Nation project.
As a sociologist in a religious studies department, I have come to appreciate my exposure to multiple disciplines under the umbrella of Princeton's Center for the Study of American Religion (now the Center for the Study of Religion).

As a new fan of intercollegiate basketball (thanks to my nine-year-old), I wish I had taken the time to attend a couple games in graduate school. I do remember Marvin Bressler's occasional comments about his friend Pete Carril. I'm glad to see the Princeton basketball team commemorated Marvin's life by wearing a special patch during the 2010-2011 season. It was nice to see the MARV patch in Sports Illustrated.