Barry Stephenson

Barry Stephenson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland, holding a joint appointment in Religious Studies. His academic journey includes a BA from the University of Waterloo, an MA from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a PhD from the University of Calgary, with prior faculty experience at Wilfrid Laurier’s Religion and Culture Department.

His educational background:

• BA, University of Waterloo
• MA, Wilfrid Laurier University
• PhD, University of Calgary (2005)

Stephenson's research critically examines the intersection of politics and religion through ritual, performance, and public spheres. He investigates how myth, ideology, and secular modernity shape religious expression in contemporary societies, with particular focus on conflict dynamics and violent manifestations. His interdisciplinary approach bridges anthropology, political theory, and cultural geography to analyze lived religious practices and their socio-political implications, especially regarding sacred space transformation and institutional decline.

Recent publications reveal evolving research trajectories: ritual theory remains foundational but has expanded into death studies, spatial transformations of religious sites, and pandemic-era grief practices. His work demonstrates consistent theoretical engagement with liminality while branching into applied contexts like spiritual care infrastructure and church repurposing projects.

Stephenson actively supervises graduate research in Politics & Religion, Performance/Protest, Myth/Ritual, Secular Modernity, and Religion/Conflict. He co-directs the SSHRC-funded After Church Atlas project with Dr. Nicholas Lynch (Geography), analyzing church closures and adaptive reuse across North America.

As former co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Ritual Studies Group and editor of Oxford University Press’s Ritual Studies Series, Stephenson has significantly shaped academic discourse. His leadership in ritual theory is evidenced through edited volumes, keynote addresses, and collaborative research initiatives examining religious performance in post-secular contexts.