Supervisors:
Dr Tobias Tanton and Jonathan Lewis-Jong
College:
St John's
Biography:
Scott Ryan Maybell is a science-and-religion scholar who uses a logical expressivist framework to examine the social and historical dynamics of misrecognition in conflicts related to atheism, demonization, and religious hegemony. His focus is on such conflicts in the American Southwest, including debates about Indigenous American ancestry, genetics, and the Book of Mormon, the reception of Philip K. Dick as a theologian and his struggle to be recognized as such, and the use of the “devilfish” icon to portray Southwestern religions as dangerous monsters. Outside of academia, Scott’s decade-long career in public service has included mediating court cases between government entities, asylum seekers, and Indigenous groups in Pima County, Arizona as well as advocating for homeless communities in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Educational Background:
Master of Science in Science and Religion, University of Edinburgh (2023)
Bachelor of Science in Philosophy of Science, University of Utah (2022)
Bachelor of Science in Psychology with minor emphases in Religious Studies and Cognitive Science, University of Utah (2022)
Research Interests:
American religions, misrecognition, philosophy of religion, atheology, logical expressivism
Recent Publications:
“The VALIS Confession: Esoteric Compassion and the Struggle for Recognition,” [Book Chapter]. In The Esoteric Theology of Philip K. Dick. Edited by George Sieg and Michael Barros. Lanham: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2024: In press.
“The Shoulders of Giants: Influence of Christian Heresy Catalogues on Isaac Newton’s Rhetoric,” [Paper]. Reviews in Science and Religion 79 (2024): 21-30.
“YHWH’s Divine Images: A Cognitive Approach by Daniel O. McClellan,” [Book Review]. Theology and Science 22, no. 1 (2023): 245-247. DOI: 10.1080/14746700.2023.2294532.
“Theology and Technology, Volumes 1 & 2 by Carl Mitcham, Jim Grote and Levi Checketts,” [Book Review]. Science and Christian Belief 36, no. 1 (2024): 146-147.
