معرفی
Anthony B. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religion at Rice University, where he also serves as Founding Director of the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning (CERCL). He holds a BA from Columbia University and both a Master of Divinity and PhD from Harvard University. His research focuses on liberation theologies, hip hop culture, humanism, African American religious traditions, and constructive theology. Pinn has authored or edited over 35 books, including influential works like The Black Church in the Post-Civil Rights Era and Noise and Spirit: Rap Music’s Religious and Spiritual Sensibilities. He directs research at the Institute for Humanist Studies and advises the Rice University PhD student Hassan Henderson-Lott. Recent awards include the 2018 Rice Faculty Excellence Award and the 2017 Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association’s Humanist of the Year honor. His work bridges academic inquiry with public engagement through initiatives like the PinnDrop Podcast, exploring intersections of art, culture, and spirituality.
- Education: PhD and MDiv (Harvard University), BA (Columbia University)
- Affiliations: Director of CERCL, Editor for Religion and Hip Hop book series (Routledge), Board Member of the Journal of Religion
Research interests emphasize the transformative potential of African American religious thought and its contemporary cultural expressions. His interdisciplinary approach integrates theology, anthropology, and critical theory. Recent publications (2015–2018) address humanism, technology, and hip hop’s spiritual dimensions. Pinn’s grants include the Yale Center for Faith and Culture’s 2017 “Theology of Joy” initiative. He co-teaches Rice’s popular Religion and Hip Hop Culture course and mentors scholars in African American religious studies. The Center for African and African American Studies at Rice further amplifies his mission to advance interdisciplinary research on Black religious life.
