Curriculum Vitae

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Education

• Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, 1997.
• M.A., Philosophy, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1989.
• B.A., Philosophy, Gettysburg College, 1987.

Professional Experience

• Distinguished Professor of Ethics at the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership at the United States Naval Academy, August 2026–present.
• Professor of Philosophy, United States Naval Academy, 2014–2026.
• Fellow, Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership, United States Naval Academy, 2024-25.
• Fellow, Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership, United States Naval Academy, 2017-2018.
• Fellow, Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership, United States Naval Academy, 2010-2011.
• Associate Professor of Philosophy, United States Naval Academy, 2005-2014.
• Fellow, Center for Philosophy of Religion, University of Notre Dame, 2004-2005.
• Assistant Professor of Philosophy, United States Naval Academy, 2001-2005.
• Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois, 1994-2001.

Publications

Current and Forthcoming Work

1. Love and Faith at War: Reflections on a Platoon Commander in Fallujah. Unpublished manuscript.
2. “Laborde, Love of Neighbor, and Public Life.” The Routledge Handbook of Divine Command Theory, forthcoming.
3. “Just War, Proper Emotion, and Union With God: C. S. Lewis on the Morality of War.” Routledge Companion to C. S. Lewis, forthcoming.

Books

1. Religious Conviction in Liberal Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Anthologized in Caleb Clanton, The Ethics of Citizenship, Baylor University Press, 2009.
2. Justice and the Just War Tradition: Human Worth, Moral Formation, and Armed Conflict. New York: Routledge, 2016.

Articles, Chapters, Entries, Dissertations, and Theses

1. “Love on the Ground: Reflections on Christian Faith and the Profession of Arms.” Journal of Religious Ethics 53, no. 4 (2025): 438–463.
2. “The Continuing Quest for the Grail: Michael Perry on the Justificatory Role of Religious Reasons.” Emory Law Journal 71 (2022): 1-37. PDF.
3. “Irreconcilable Disagreement: Supreme Emergency, Respect, and Restraint.” Social Theory and Practice (July 2021): 256-87.
4. “Christians and Pagans in the Sacred Nation.” San Diego Law Review 56/2 (May/June 2019): 1-31. PDF.
5. “Ought the Mighty to Punish Blasphemers?” Journal of Analytic Theology (July 2016): 390-94. PDF.
6. “Religione, rispetto e guerra: contro la visione canonica della religione in politica.” Etica & Politica 18, no. 1 (2016): 11–33.
7. “Rights, Goods, and Proportionate War.” The Monist 99/1 (January 2016): 70-86.
8. “Religion, War, and Respect.” In Rawls and Religion, edited by Tom Bailey and Valentina Gentile. New York: Columbia University Press, 2015, 29-51.
9. “Religion and Insularity: Brian Leiter on Accommodating Religion.” San Diego Law Review 51, no. 4 (2014), beginning at page 977. PDF.
10. “Religion and Political Theory.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2014.
11. “Who Violates the Principles of Political Liberalism?” with Kraig Beyerlein. Politics and Religion 7 (2014): 240-264.
12. “Comments on Anderson, Carnahan, and Wolterstorff.” Philosophia: Special Edition on Religion and Public Life 41/2 (June 2013).
13. “Just Cause and Cyber War.” Journal of Military Ethics: Special Issue on Cyberwar 12/1 (April 2013): 54-67.
14. “God and War: Some Exploratory Questions.” Journal of Law and Religion 28/1 (2012-2013): 1-46.
15. “Religious Conviction in the Profession of Arms.” with CAPT William R. Rubel. Journal of Military Ethics 11/3 (November 2012): 171-185.
16. “Shari’a Reasoning and the Justice of Religious War.” Philosophia 40/2 (June 2012): 195-211.
17. “Religion in Public Life.” with Kevin Vallier. In The Routledge Companion to Social and Political Philosophy, edited by Gerald Gaus and Fred D’Agostino. London: Routledge, 2012.
18. “Consensus, Convergence, and Religiously Justified Coercion.” Public Affairs Quarterly 25/4 (October 2011): 281-304.
19. “Religion, Just War, and Liberalism.” SCIO: Estudios y Propuestas en Ciencas Sociales y Humanidades (July 2010): 13-29. PDF (full issue, p. 13).
20. “Respect for Persons and the Doctrine of Religious Restraint.” Philosophy and Social Criticism 35/1-2 (January-February 2009): 151-181.
21. “Basic Human Worth: Religious and Secular Perspectives.” In New Waves in Philosophy of Religion, edited by Erik Weilenberg and Yujin Nagasawa. Palgrave MacMillan, 2008.
22. “Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom: Religious Reasons in Public.” Journal of Legal Commentary 22/2 (Fall 2007): 431-443. PDF.
23. “God, War and Conscience.” Journal of Religious Ethics 35/3 (September 2007).
24. “Book Discussion of A.C. Grayling, Among the Dead Cities and Harry Stout, Upon the Altar of the Nation.” Journal of Military Ethics 6/1 (2007): 75-80.
25. “Religion and Politics.” In Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2nd ed., edited by Donald Borchardt. New York: MacMillan Press, 2006.
26. “Religion, Pacifism and the Doctrine of Restraint.” Journal of Religious Ethics 34/2 (June 2006): 203-224.
27. “What Does Respect Require?” In Religion in the Liberal Polity, edited by Terence Cuneo. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2004.
28. “Religion and Liberal Democracy.” In Blackwell Guide to Social and Political Philosophy, edited by Robert Simon. Oxford: Blackwell, 2002.
29. “What Respect Requires - And What It Does Not.” Wake Forest Law Review 36/2 (Summer 2001): 305-51.
30. “Why Restraint is Religiously Unacceptable.” Religious Studies 35/3 (September 1999): 247-76.
31. “Liberalism and Mysticism.” The Journal of Law and Religion 13/1 (December 1998): 189-238.
32. “The Autonomy and Explanation of Mystical Experience.” Religious Studies 34/3 (September 1998): 299-316.
33. “God’s Nature and the Rationality of Religious Belief.” Faith and Philosophy 14/2 (April 1997): 152-69. PDF.
34. Social Establishment, Religious Belief and Autonomy. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1997.
35. Rationalization: Paradox or Partiality? Master’s thesis, Calvin College, 1989.

Book Reviews

1. Robert Audi, Democratic Authority and the Separation of Church and State. Ethics 123/4 (July 2013): 745-50. Review in Ethics.
2. George Kateb, Human Dignity. The Hedgehog Review 14/1 (Spring 2012).
3. A.C. Grayling, Among the Dead Cities. Ethics 117 (2006): 356-363. Review in Ethics.
4. Lucas Swaine, The Liberal Conscience. Ethics 116 (2006): 813-819. Review in Ethics.
5. Paul Weithman, Religion and the Obligations of Citizenship. Ethics 116 (2006): 611-614. Review in Ethics.

Honors Awarded

• Fellowship, Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership, United States Naval Academy, 2024-25.
• Invited Participant, Institute of Humane Studies Workshop on Vallier’s All The Kingdoms of the World, July 15, 2022.
• Invited Participant, University of San Diego Institute of Law and Philosophy Roundtable on The Travails of Liberal Democracy, May 3, 2019.
• Invited Participant, University of San Diego Institute of Law and Philosophy Roundtable on Christians and Pagans in the City, December 2-3, 2017.
• Fellowship, Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership, United States Naval Academy, 2017-2018.
• Invited Participant, University of San Diego Institute of Law and Philosophy Roundtable on Public Reason, February 13-14, 2015.
• Invited Participant, Manuscript Workshop on Christian Smith’s To Flourish or Destruct, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Templeton Foundation, March 14-16, 2013.
• Fellowship, Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership, United States Naval Academy, 2010-2011.
• Principal Contributor, Emory University Roundtable on New Books in Morality, Religion and Law: Christopher Eberle’s God and War and Nigel Biggar’s Justifying War, September 2009.
• Invited Participant, Emory University Roundtable on New Books in Morality, Religion and Law: Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na‘im’s Islam and the Secular State, April 2008.
• Invited Participant, University of San Diego Institute of Law and Philosophy Roundtable on Just War Theory and Terrorism, September 28-29, 2007.
• Invited Participant, Human Personhood Conference, University of Notre Dame Center for the Study of American Religion, May 2007, Director: Christian Smith.
• Invited Participant, Emory University Roundtable on New Books in Morality, Religion and Law: Timothy Jackson’s Political Agape, April 2007.
• Invited Participant, Emory University Roundtable on New Books in Morality, Religion and Law: Michael Perry’s Towards a Theory of Human Rights, April 2006.
• Invited Participant, Emory University Roundtable on New Books in Morality, Religion and Law: Nicholas Wolterstorff’s Justice: Rights and Wrongs, April 2005.
• Fellowship, Center for Philosophy of Religion, University of Notre Dame, 2004-2005.
• Invited Participant, Erasmus Institute Conference on Justice: Human and Divine. Director: Nicholas Wolterstorff, Yale University.
• Naval Academy Research Grant, 2002-2004, 2012, 2013.
• Invited Participant, Emory University Roundtable on Religion and Law, March 2004.
• Pew Charitable Trust Summer Seminar, Religion and Culture, Calvin College, June 25-July 27, 2001, Director: Christian Smith.
• Fellowship, Pew Evangelical Scholars Program, 1999-2000.
• Pew Charitable Trust Summer Seminar, Political Theory After Liberalism, Calvin College, June 29-August 6, 1998, Director: Nicholas Wolterstorff.

Invited Papers

• “Love and Hate in War: Monstrous Evil in Lewis and Tolkien.” War, Fellowship, and Survival in the Lives and Works of C.S. Lewis and Kindred Spirits, June 11-13, 2026.
• “Just War, Proper Emotion, and Union With God: C. S. Lewis on the Morality of War.” Conference on C. S. Lewis, Houston Baptist University, Fall 2025.
• “Religious Conviction in the Profession of Arms.” Conference on Religion, Freedom, Equality, Magdalen College, Oxford University, June 3, 2024.
• “Religion and Liberalism.” McCain Conference, United States Naval Academy, 2024.
• “Christian Faith and the Profession of Arms.” Plenary Lecture, The Moral Argument for God’s Existence, Houston Baptist University, March 2, 2023.
• “The Continuing Quest for the Grail.” Continuing the Conversation: Early Arguments and Contemporary Thoughts, Emory University, February 22, 2023.
• “Christian Faith in the Profession of Arms.” Faithful to the Call: Renewing Theological Ethics from the Ground Up, Christ Church, Oxford University, May 11, 2022.
• “Moral Formation at the US Naval Academy.” Society of Christian Philosophers Eastern Regional Meeting on Philosophy in the Public Square, January 23-25, 2020.
• “Love and Faith at War: Reflections on a Platoon Commander in Fallujah.” Society of Christian Philosophers Eastern Regional Meeting on Philosophy in the Public Square, January 23-25, 2020.
• “Love and Faith at War: Reflections on a Platoon Commander in Fallujah.” Conference on Western-Chinese Ethics of War and Peace, University of Virginia, November 30-December 1, 2019.
• “Supreme Emergency, Rawls, and Restraint.” Invited Symposium on 25 Years of Rawls’ Political Liberalism, American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting, January 9, 2019.
• “Religion and Right Intention.” Conference on Western-Chinese Ethics of War and Peace, University of Virginia, November 30-December 1, 2018.
• “Irreconcilable Disagreement: Supreme Emergency, Religion, and Restraint.” Conference on Public Life and Religious Diversity, Oxford University, September 2017.
• “Religion, Public Reason, and War.” Public Reason and Disagreement, University of Turin, Centro Einaudi, Turin, Italy, June 20, 2014.
• “Religion and Insularity: Brian Leiter on Religious Accommodation.” Is Religion an Outdated Constitutional Concept? University of San Diego Law School, February 28-March 1, 2014.
• “Comments on Nicholas Wolterstorff’s The Mighty and the Almighty.” Institute for Church and State, University of Notre Dame, March 23, 2014.
• “Moral Formation and Military Officership.” War and Peace as Liberal Arts, Westmont College, February 21-23, 2013.
• “Religion, Politics, and War.” Pluralism, Conflict and Co-Existence: Religion, Politics and Society in Western Europe from the Confessional Age to the Present, Yale University, September 22-24, 2011.
• “Just Cause and Cyber War.” 2011 McCain Conference: Warfare in a New Domain: The Ethics of Military Cyber Operations, United States Naval Academy, April 26-27, 2011.
• “Religion, War, and Respect.” Between Rawls and Religion: Religion in a Postsecular World, LUISS University and John Cabot University, Rome, Italy, December 14-16, 2010.
• “The Soldier’s Rationale.” Love and Justice Lecture Series, University of Virginia, December 2, 2010.
• “Religious Conviction in the Profession of Arms.” Symposium on Religion and the Military, University of Notre Dame, July 2010.
• “Religion, Conscientious Engagement and Respect.” 3rd Annual Symposium on Ethics and Multiculturalism: Citizenship, Civic Virtue, and Religion, University of Valencia, April 14-16, 2010.
• “God and War: Some Critical Questions.” Ethics Center Annual Symposium on Philosophy and Public Policy, University of North Florida, November 5-7, 2009.
• “Religion and War.” Religion, Violence and War: The State of the Debate, University of Notre Dame, September 24, 2009.
• “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom: Religious Reasons in Public Life.” 14th Annual Symposium: Religion and Morality in the Public Square, St. John’s University Law School, March 2007.
• “Basic Human Worth.” Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia, March 2007.
• “Critical Response.” Opening Plenary Session of the International Symposium for Military Ethics, January 25-26, 2007, Springfield, Virginia.
• “Response to Michael Perry and Jerry Gaus.” American Philosophical Association, Eastern Divisional Meeting, Washington, D.C., December 2006.
• “Response to Jerry Gaus’ ‘A Reply to Christopher Eberle’s Religious Convictions in Liberal Politics.’” American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, August 2006.
• “Respect for Persons and the Doctrine of Restraint.” Conference on Religion and Political Liberalism II: The Christian Foundations of Liberal Society, Trinity College, Dublin, June 2006.
• “Religion, Pacifism and the Doctrine of Restraint.” 30th Midwest Philosophy Colloquium, University of Minnesota/Morris, February 2006.
• “Religious Conviction in Military Service.” Law and Philosophy Conference, Arizona State University, February 29, 2004. Also delivered at Calvin College and Valparaiso University, November 2004.
• “What Difference Does God Make to Natural Law Theorizing?” University of San Diego, March 10, 2003.
• “Religion and War.” Wheaton College Philosophy Conference, Wheaton College, October 30, 2002.
• “The Argument from Religious Warfare.” Morality, Religion and Culture Conference, Calvin College, January 16, 2003.
• “The Normative Case for Restraint.” Religiously Based Morality: Its Proper Role in American Public Life?, Wake Forest University School of Law, October 2000.
• “What Does Respect Require?” Political Theory After Liberalism, Calvin College, Spring 1999.

This web CV includes verified bibliographic corrections and author-confirmed fellowship dates and appointment history updates to the 2025 vita. The downloadable PDF remains unchanged and contains older versions of the citations for “Love on the Ground,” “Religion and Insularity,” and “Religione, rispetto e guerra,” as well as the earlier fellowship dates and incomplete appointment history.