Jonathan Burton

Jonathan Burton is a Professor of English at Whittier College, affiliated with the Department of English Language & Literature. His teaching spans Shakespeare, Contemporary Drama, Transcultural Literature, and the History of Literary Criticism, informed by his Quaker-inspired pedagogy emphasizing performance, creative writing, and digital humanities.

• B.A., Haverford College
• M.A., University of California, Riverside
• Ph.D., City University of New York

Burton’s research focuses on Early Modern Literature, particularly intersections of Shakespeare, postcolonial theory, and race studies. His work explores how historical discourses on race and cultural identity manifest in Renaissance drama and pedagogy. Recent publications examine inclusive teaching practices, cultural adaptation of Shakespeare, and critical race theory in global contexts.

His scholarly contributions include the books Traffic and Turning: Islam and English Drama, 1579-1624 and Race in Early Modern Culture: A Documentary Companion. Articles like “Teaching Shakespeare and Race: Techniques and Technologies” (2024) and “Segregated Shakespeare” (2022) highlight his efforts to modernize and diversify literary scholarship.