James Patterson
Associate Professor, Institute of American Civics
Specialties: Race, Religion, and American Political Thought
Biography
James Patterson is an associate professor of public affairs for the Institute of American Civics at the Baker School of Public Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has written one scholarly book, Religion in the Public Square: Sheen, King, Falwell (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019), and is currently completing another with his co-author Thomas Howes titled Why Postliberalism Failed (Acton Institute, 2026). His next book project will concern the development of the ideas and institutions behind American Catholic republicanism. He has also published scholarly articles in American Political Thought, Journal of Church and State, Political Science Reviewer, and Perspectives on Political Science as well as popular articles for Law & Liberty, National Affairs, National Review, The Dispatch, and FUSION.
Patterson is a regular subject area expert for the press on matters of contemporary religion and politics, interviewing for the Associated Press, Washington Post, Études: Revue de Culture Contemporaine, and numerous other American and European periodicals. He held postdoctoral research positions at Duke and Princeton, as well as visiting teaching positions at Gettysburg College and Hampden-Sydney College, before teaching for nine years at Ave Maria University. At AMU, he helped start a new Communications Department as its inaugural chair before becoming chair of the Politics Department and then departing to IAC.
Patterson has received research grants from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the Earhart Foundation. He also received curriculum development grants from the Jack Miller Center and the Acton Institute. For his research on religion and American political thought, Patterson received the 2023 Freedom and Opportunity Prize from the Heritage Foundation. He is a Contributing Editor to Law & Liberty, where he writes articles and hosts their podcast. He is also the president of The Ciceronian Society.
Education
- B.A., Political Science, University of Houston
- M.A., Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics, University of Virginia
- Ph.D., Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics, University of Virginia