David Kirkpatrick

Dr. David Kirkpatrick serves as Vice President and Chief of Staff at James Madison University (JMU), overseeing strategic planning, civic engagement, and presidential communications. He is tenured as an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion. His academic background includes a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh and a postdoctoral fellowship at Florida State University as the Timothy Gannon Postdoctoral Associate.

His research focuses on intersections of politics, religion, and social movements, particularly in Latin America. Key themes include global Christianity, civic engagement, decolonization, and the role of Latino communities. His work has been published in journals like the Journal of Ecclesiastical History and the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.

He leads the Madison Center for Civic Engagement, expanding programs such as the Civic Leadership Minor and the Common Good in the Commonwealth speaker series. He also oversees The Good Society journal and collaborates with institutions like the Institute of Civic Studies and Learning for Democracy (ICSLD).

Dr. Kirkpatrick’s academic contributions include co-editing Global Visions of Violence (2022) and authoring A Gospel for the Poor (2019). He frequently lectures at prestigious institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Princeton Theological Seminary.