Warren G. Frisina

Warren G. Frisina serves as Dean of the Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College and Professor of Religion at Hofstra University, a position he has held since 1997 after previously serving as acting Executive Director of the American Academy of Religion. His academic foundation includes a Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Chicago, where he specialized in theology, philosophy, and Chinese intellectual history, complemented by a B.A. from SUNY College at Purchase.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. from the University of Chicago
• M.A. from the University of Chicago
• B.A. from SUNY College at Purchase

Professor Frisina's research spans Comparative Philosophy and Religion, Chinese Philosophical and Religious Thought, and Contemporary Theories of Knowledge, with deep engagement in Metaphysics, American Pragmatism, and Neo-Confucianism. He critically examines how cognitive psychology informs embodied cognition and the philosophy of mind, consistently bridging Eastern and Western intellectual traditions to address fundamental epistemological questions through interdisciplinary frameworks that integrate ritual studies, organicism, and social philosophy.

His recent publications in Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy and the American Journal of Theology & Philosophy reveal a cohesive scholarly trajectory exploring ritual as foundational to trust, public discourse, and embodied cognition. These works demonstrate methodological rigor in synthesizing Chinese philosophical concepts with contemporary cognitive science, particularly through Neo-Confucian organicism and pragmatic theories of knowledge-action unity, while maintaining relevance to modern social and epistemological challenges.

Though specific advising details and grant information are not documented in the profile, his leadership as Honors College Dean and extensive publication record—including the monograph The Unity of Knowledge and Action (SUNY Press, 2002)—indicate substantial mentorship impact and theoretical contributions. His teaching portfolio includes Honors College seminars at Hofstra and prior appointments at Rice University, the University of Houston, and Emory University, reflecting sustained commitment to advanced undergraduate education across diverse institutional contexts.