Garry Sparks

Garry Sparks is an Associate Professor in Princeton University's Department of Religion, joining in Fall 2023. His research focuses on ethnohistorical analysis of Indigenous theological production in the Americas, particularly among Mesoamerican peoples during the 16th-century Iberian missionary era and modern movements like liberation theologies and Indigenous traditionalism revitalization. His work bridges critical Christian thought histories with Indigenous perspectives.

Key research projects include editing the 16th-century Maya Highlands manuscript Kislak 1015 and translating the Theologia Indorum from Mayan manuscripts. Supported by NEH, AAR, and APS grants, his scholarship examines colonial religious encounters and Indigenous agency in theological formation. He serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Latin American Religions and advises The Maya Book Project.

• Behrman Faculty Fellow
• Co-editor of critical manuscript editions
• Recipient of multiple prestigious research grants

His teaching and research emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to Indigenous religious systems, colonial discourse analysis, and post-contact cultural dynamics. Current projects explore Maya moral frameworks and colonial-era religious syncretism.