Brandon Bayne

Brandon Bayne is an Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on colonial religious encounters in the Americas, particularly examining intersections of Catholic missions, indigenous conversion, and memorialization practices.

• Education: Th.D. from Harvard University (2012), M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (2004), B.A. from Columbia University (1997)

Dr. Bayne's scholarship explores the dynamics of Christian sacrifice in colonial contexts, analyzing how European missionaries and indigenous converts created shared religious frameworks through martyrdom narratives and material culture. His work connects historical practices like relic veneration to contemporary borderlands rituals and immigration debates.

Recent publications focus on transcontinental Jesuit networks (2016), borderlands religious interactions (2014), and colonial mission theologies (2012). He also maintains active research interests in Latina/o religious traditions and contemporary mission memorials.

Teaching includes courses on American religious history (RELI 140, RELI 744), Catholic traditions (RELI 142), Latin American religions (RELI 151), and Reformation studies (RELI 454).