Thomas A. Carlson

Thomas A. Carlson is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy & Religion at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he also serves as Founding Director of the International Center for the Humanities and Social Change. His academic career spans religion, philosophy, and cultural theory with particular focus on the intersections of theological traditions and modern thought.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. from The University of Chicago

Professor Carlson's research centers on three interwoven domains: (1) Religion and modern philosophy, with deep engagement in German idealism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, and deconstruction; (2) History of Christian thought, emphasizing mystical and negative theology alongside theology's relationship to emerging modern science and politics; (3) Religion in modernity/post-modernity, investigating secularization, religion-politics dynamics, and technological culture's religious dimensions. His work consistently bridges historical analysis and contemporary theoretical frameworks through meticulous textual interpretation.

His publication record from 1999-2005 reveals sustained exploration of mystical subjectivity, postmetaphysical theology, and science-religion interfaces. Key trends include phenomenological analyses of religious experience (particularly through Marion's lens), deconstructive readings of theological concepts, and examinations of how technological culture embodies theological structures of desire and transcendence. This body of work demonstrates rigorous engagement with figures like Caputo, Heidegger, and Eriugena while addressing contemporary concerns about human identity in technological society.

Professor Carlson teaches diverse courses including RS 80C (Religion and Western Civilization III), RS 106 (Modernity and Secularization), and specialized seminars on Christian thought and subjectivity. He co-teaches the innovative 'Sacred/Profane' seminar with Roger Friedland, which investigates religious dimensions in science, politics, and economics. His translation work on Jean-Luc Marion's texts has significantly shaped Anglophone reception of contemporary phenomenology.

As Founding Director of the International Center for the Humanities and Social Change, Carlson leads an interdisciplinary initiative fostering research on critical intersections between humanities scholarship and societal transformation, providing institutional support for his research on religion's evolving role in contemporary culture.