About
Dr. John Compton, Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Chapman University’s Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, specializes in Religion and Politics, Supreme Court and Constitutional Law, and American Political Development. He joined Chapman in 2011 after completing his Ph.D. at UCLA and has since contributed extensively to his field.
- Education:
- William Jewell College (B.A.)
- Syracuse University (M.A.)
- University of California, Los Angeles (Ph.D.)
His research examines the intersection of religion and legal institutions, including the evolution of constitutional law and the role of religion in shaping political discourse. Recent work explores Protestant consensus-building during the Eisenhower era, prohibition’s impact on racial and religious politics, and the decline of empathy in White Protestant communities. Articles span journals like Studies in American Political Development and Journal of Supreme Court History, with a focus on constitutional interpretation and civil religion.
Dr. Compton has received prestigious awards, including the Law and Society Association’s dissertation prize (2012), the Cromwell Book Prize (2015), and honorable mention for the Hubert Morken Book Prize (2020). His books, such as The Evangelical Origins of the Living Constitution (2014) and The End of Empathy (2020), have shaped scholarly debates on legal history and religious influence in governance.
