Karl Kuehner

Karl Kuehner is a PhD Candidate in modern American religious history at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he serves as an Adjunct Professor and Teaching Assistant. He previously taught secondary-level history in Chicago for a decade before joining UIC in 2018. His academic work bridges religious studies, political movements, and economic history, with a geographic focus on 20th-century America.

Education

• B.A. in Secondary Education & History, Concordia University Chicago (2007)
• M.A. in History, University of Chicago (2017)

Research Focus

Kuehner investigates religion's evolving relationship with modernity through two primary lenses: the rise of the New Christian Right as a 1970s political force resisting secularization, and religious responses to capitalism during the Great Depression. His dissertation analyzes Depression-era Chicago religious communities, examining how they interpreted economic collapse and organized relief efforts. Secondary research domains include Colonial U.S. history, North American religious trends, and post-1789 European developments.

Awards & Funding

• Cornell University's History of Capitalism Fellowship (2022)
• UIC Summer Research Grant (2022)
• Newberry Library's Archive Fellowship (2022)
• UIC History Doctoral Award (2018-2022)
• University of Chicago MAPSS Scholarship (2013-2017)

Teaching & Service

As instructor, he has developed courses including U.S. history surveys (colonial-present), English composition, and specialized topics like the Russian Revolution and Native American history. Graduate teaching assistantships span Western Civilization, Middle Eastern history, and global economic systems.