معرفی
Dr. Kenneth MacKendrick serves as Professor and Department Head in the Department of Religion at the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Arts, where his work bridges critical social theory, the study of evil across religious traditions, and the psychological dimensions of religious imagination including imaginary companions and fantasy gaming practices like LARPing.
His academic credentials include:
- PhD in Critical Theory, Ethics, Hermeneutics, and Psychoanalysis (University of Toronto, 2005)
- MA in Critical Theory and Religion with Feminist Ethics focus (University of Toronto, 1996)
- BA in Religious Studies (University of Windsor, 1994)
MacKendrick's research interrogates how humans inhabit imagined realities through religious frameworks, examining phenomena from Dungeons & Dragons world-building to theological conceptualizations of evil. His scholarship consistently applies Habermasian critical theory to deconstruct metaphysical assumptions in religious discourse while exploring the cognitive foundations of religious experience.
His publication trajectory reveals persistent engagement with interdisciplinary methodologies, evolving from early analyses of Habermas's critical theory (2008) toward contemporary investigations of fan cultures and imaginary world-building (2018-2023). The thematic through-line connects theoretical rigor with practical religious phenomena, particularly through his seminal work on evil and its manifestations across global traditions.
Actively mentoring graduate students in Master's and PhD programs, MacKendrick maintains robust scholarly productivity as evidenced by his ongoing publications and departmental leadership, though specific research grants remain undocumented in available materials.
