My Research

PUBLICATIONS

“Religion, National Identity, and the Politics of Georgia.” Journal for Freedom of Conscience Vol. 11. No 3. (2023): 575-608.  

As the sun began to set on the Tbilisi suburb of Gldani on October 17th of 1999, the sound of distant shouting echoed through the streets. Unbeknownst to its residents, this heralded the arrival of a violent mob of Georgian men—led by former Orthodox priest Vasily Mkalavishvili—with plans to attack a group of Jehovah's Witnesses at their weekly meeting for worship. The sixty Jehovah’s Witnesses who were in the main room of the meeting house—having been in a worship service only a few moments prior—were ambushed and “beaten and struck with crosses, sticks, and belts” by the mob. Mkalavishvili encouraged his supporters to join him “in prayer and song” as they carried out the attack. In the following weeks, it became clear that the police, the judiciary, the government, the church, and the Georgian people themselves all at least tacitly believed that what he was doing was good for their country, as both state and non-state actors lent their support to Mkalavishvili. And—horrifically—this was not an isolated expression of hate towards a minority group in Georgia. Many others followed, targeting other religious minorities, ethnic minorities, foreigners, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Some people—like Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia—argue that Mkalavishvili and his associates were only “small fries” who “carried out [these] attacks on the orders of others.” Allowing the public view of religious violence to remain fixed on people like Mkalashvili would leave them with the idea that it was only those who carried out the attacks who were responsible—thus neglecting the importance of other individuals and institutions. While Songulashvili is right to pinpoint a deeper cause for the religious violence in Georgia, the question cannot be answered if it is framed as a discussion of individuals and institutions alone. The intolerance clearly came from a deeper source. I argue that a particular vision of Georgian national identity itself—and its construction around Georgian Orthodox Christianity and the Georgian Orthodox Church—animated the politics of the Republic of Georgia after its independence—to disastrous effect. This paper, therefore, examines how and why religion has been centered in Georgian identity discourse, and by extension, politics.

“Reversing the Rain of Death That Threatens Us All: On the Christian Ethical Meanings of Species Loss.” With David P. Gushee. Journal of Reformed Theology Vol. 17. No. 2. (2023): 125-148.

This essay considers the Christian ethical meanings of species loss. We begin with a description of the Dutch colonization of Mauritius, which entailed grave and irreversible species losses that foreshadowed current global realities. Revisiting the Gaia hypothesis, we argue that the whole of creation, including humanity, is interconnected and interdependent, and that it is disastrous when humans ignore our connection to the Earth community. Christians must therefore respond to species loss at theological, ethical, and spiritual levels. The imago dei and the dominion mandate must be construed by Christians to mean responsibility as the most powerful species in the Earth community to offer loving care to the whole of creation. Human responsibility must be highlighted, not archaic understandings of divine power and human weakness. Human connectedness to—rather than alienation from—creation must be nurtured before species loss finally overtakes humanity itself.

PRESENTATIONS

“Religion, National Identity, and the Politics of Georgia." International Conference on Freedom of Conscience and Religion. Bucharest, Romania, November 2023.

"The Politics of Martyrdom, Past and Present, in Azerbaijan: Death, Memory, and National Identity." International Studies Association Midwest Annual Conference. St. Louis, Missouri, November 2023.

"Religious Violence and the Politics of Memory in Georgia." Georgia Regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference. Columbus, Georgia, April 2023. Received Second Prize for Overall Best Paper.

Also presented at the International Studies Association Northeast Annual Conference - Emotions, Aesthetics, and Memory in the Past, Present, and Future of International Relations. Providence, Rhode Island, November 2023.

“Can the ‘Most Trusted Man in Georgia’ Really Be Trusted? Examining the Relationship Between Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II and the KGB.” Breakthroughs in Engagement, Arts, and Research Day. Macon, Georgia, April 2023.

"Religion and Human Rights in Georgia." Georgia Political Science Association Annual Conference. Savannah, Georgia, November 2022.

Also presented at Breakthroughs in Engagement, Arts, and Research Day. Macon, Georgia, April 2023.

"Fear and Admiration in Misunderstanding: Philosemitism, Antisemitism, and Allosemitism in 20th Century Japan." Southern Conference Undergraduate Research Forum. Spartanburg, South Carolina, October 2022.

"The ‘End’ of Humanity: Work, Leisure, and ‘Ends’ in Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince." Association of Core Texts and Courses Undergraduate Conference. Latrobe, Pennsylvania, April 2022.

"Olga of Kiev and Gender in the Early Kievan Rus." Breakthroughs in Engagement, Arts, and Research Day. Macon, Georgia, April 2022.

"Profiles of Passionarity: Lev Gumilev and Far-Right Extremism in the Digital Space." International Studies Association Midwest Annual Conference. St. Louis, Missouri, November 2021.

"Rethinking the Dichotomy Between Just War and Holy War in the Christian and Islamic Traditions." Georgia Political Science Association Annual Conference. Savannah, Georgia, November 2021.

"Just War Theory in the Islamic Tradition: Religion, Ethics, and Military Jurisprudence." Breakthroughs in Engagement, Arts, and Research Day. Macon, Georgia, April 2021.

Also presented at the Southern Conference Undergraduate Research Forum. Spartanburg, South Carolina, October 2021.

OTHER

"2022-2023 Model Arab League Background Guide for the Council on Palestinian Affairs."

Note: This background guide considers four topics of my conception that delegates of the Council on Palestinian Affairs will engage in the 2022-2023 competition season. It provides vital context and raises questions about how delegates will take measures to protect and preserve Palestinian cultural heritage sites, explore methods to combat environmental degradation and biodiversity loss in Palestine, consider ways to protect journalists from violence and unjust imprisonment in Palestine, and devise strategies to combat food insecurity in Palestine, bearing in mind the challenges posed by ongoing international conflicts in major wheat producing countries.