David Newheiser

Dr. David Newheiser is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry, Australian Catholic University. His interdisciplinary research examines intersections of religion, philosophy, and politics.

He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and an MPhil from Oxford. Award-winning works include Hope in a Secular Age (Cambridge University Press, 2019), which received the ATF Literary Trust Book Prize (2021) and Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award (2020).

Research explores:

• Theological dimensions of hope and uncertainty
• Political theology in secular contexts
• Jacques Derrida's engagement with religion
• Critiques of neoliberal economics

He co-directs the Templeton-funded project 'Spiritual Understanding in a Secular Age' and edits the Journal for the Academic Study of Religion. Public engagement includes ABC Radio commentaries on hope during crises.