معرفی
Alexander McKinley is a Lecturer in Religion at Lake Forest College since Fall 2021. Previously, he held academic appointments at Loyola University Chicago, Colgate University, Louisiana State University, and Loyola University New Orleans. His research focuses on Sri Lankan religious history, pilgrimage studies, and the interplay between religion and environment. McKinley earned a PhD from Duke University (2018), an MTS from Harvard Divinity School (2012), and a BA from Grinnell College (2008). His work bridges anthropology, history, and religious studies, with expertise in Sinhala and Tamil religious traditions.
Research interests include multi-religious practices in postcolonial Sri Lanka, the environmental dimensions of pilgrimage, and the legacy of colonial stereotypes in religious discourse. He has published widely in venues like Journal of Asian Studies, Culture and Religion, and South Asian History and Culture. His 2018 curriculum development grant from the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies created teaching materials about Adam’s Peak pilgrimage.
McKinley has received awards including the 2023 Magis Teaching Award (runner-up) and a Fulbright Research Grant (2015-2016). His teaching spans global religions, environmental ethics, and religious demonology. He has also engaged in community service as Treasurer of the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies and peer review for South Asian History and Culture.
