Andre C. Willis

Andre C. Willis serves as the Willard Prescott and Annie McClelland Smith Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Brown University. His academic work bridges philosophy of religion, Enlightenment thought, and African American religious traditions. Willis has established himself as a significant scholar examining the intersections of hope, race, and democratic citizenship through both historical and contemporary lenses.

Willis's research interests center on Enlightenment reflections on religion (particularly David Hume's work), African American religious thought, critical theory, and democratic citizenship as it relates to hope, recognition, and belonging. His scholarship develops a distinctive framework distinguishing between 'trivial hope' (market-driven, future-oriented aspirations) and 'deep hope' (a discipline of the present moment that confronts life's fundamental realities without delusion). This work connects Hume's philosophical contributions with African American religious traditions, particularly examining Martin Luther King Jr.'s theology of hope in contrast to more contemporary political approaches.

His publications reveal consistent engagement with Hume's religious philosophy, race theory, and African American religious thought. Willis has authored the book Toward a Humean True Religion: Genuine Theism, Moderate Hope and Practical Morality (2015) and numerous articles exploring Hume's legacy regarding race, Obama's racial legacy, and dissident theo-politics. His recent work continues to develop his distinctive analysis of hope as a present-oriented discipline rather than future aspiration.

At Brown, Willis teaches courses spanning Christianity and economic inequality, foundational texts in African American theology, David Hume and religion, religion and postmodernism, and Black and Brown religion in America. His teaching reflects his research interests, connecting philosophical inquiry with contemporary social and religious concerns.