Kai Parker

Kai Parker is an Assistant Professor of African American Religious History at the University of Virginia, affiliated with the Department of Religious Studies. His research focuses on the intersection of religion, urban inequality, and social justice movements in African American history.

Education:

• Ph.D., History, University of Chicago
• M.A., History, University of Chicago
• A.B., History and Africana Studies, Bowdoin College

Research: Parker examines messianic and apocalyptic themes in Black faith, particularly how these traditions critique racial inequality and the concept of progress. His book project, "Faith without Hope: Black Protestants, Chicago, and the Critique of Progress, 1914-1968," explores how Black Protestants in Chicago reimagined redemption amid systemic antiblackness, urban crises, and the civil rights movement.

Teaching: Courses include "Religion and the Black Freedom Struggle," "Black Religion and the Criminal Justice System," and "Religion, Race, and Difference in America." His pedagogy integrates theological analysis with interdisciplinary approaches from Black studies and phenomenology.

Grants & Awards: None explicitly listed, though his research reflects sustained engagement with critical social and religious themes.

Labs/Teams: Not specified in the text, but his work intersects with interdisciplinary initiatives on race, religion, and urban studies at UVA.