Matthew Hedstrom

Matthew Hedstrom is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. He holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, with prior degrees from Haverford College and UT Austin. His research focuses on intersections of religion, culture, and modernity in 19th-20th century America, particularly exploring book history, spirituality, and international religious movements.

Current research includes The Religion of Humanity: Faith, Politics, and the United Nations, examining the UN's religious dimensions through a century-long lens. His 2013 book The Rise of Liberal Religion received the Brewer Prize for its analysis of mid-century religious middlebrow culture.

Teaching specialties include American religious historiography, spirituality in popular culture, and methods in American Studies. Courses span topics like 'Christian America?' and 'Visions of Apocalypse in American Culture.'

• Awards: ACLS Fellowship (2019), Brewer Prize (2013)
• Key Research Themes: Religious cosmopolitanism, book culture's impact, spirituality's commercialization
• Professional Affiliations: Cross-appointed in American Studies