Morgan Shipley
Inaugural Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality; Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Morgan Shipley's research, projects, teaching, and work related to the focuses on understanding mystical and esoteric new religions.
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Morgan Shipley (Ph.D.) is the Inaugural Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University. His research, projects, teaching, and work related to the Chair focus on 1) understanding mystical and esoteric new religions that highlight spirituality as opposed to institutional religiosity, 2) positioning individuals and groups who increasingly identify as spiritual but not religious, and 3) situating the nature and manifestations of secular ... spirituality.
Read MoreEducation
Michigan State University: Ph.D., American Studies | 2013
University of Chicago: M.A., Philosophy of Religion & Social Science | 2005
DePaul University: B.A., Political Science | 2004
Selected Press
How ‘nones’ − the religiously unaffiliated − are finding meaning, purpose and spirituality in psychedelic churches | Opinion
The Conversation | 2023-10-10
More and more surveys point to decreasing membership in religious institutions and a corresponding rise of “nones.” Many people might assume that this indicates the absence of belief or a lack of spirituality.
Guest Essay: An open letter to my Spartan community
The State News | 2023-03-05
Any response. Any reflection. Any effort at analysis.
All come up short.
The ongoing scourge of gun violence in America elicits endless outpourings of support. It results in meaningful moments of reflection, empathetic outreach, confusion and anger. But it never leads to substantive changes.
From atheist churches to finding healing in the ‘sacred flower of cannabis,’ spiritual but not religious Americans are finding new ways of pursuing meaning | Opinion
The Conversation | 2022-10-31
According to a recent Pew Center report, American Christianity remains in a nearly three-decade decline. Responding as “none” or “unaffiliated” on religious surveys, people increasingly identify as humanists, atheists, agnostics, or simply spiritual. If current trends continue, by 2070 Christianity may no longer be the dominant expression of American religion.
