Christianity

Stephen Lahey specializes in medieval theology. He is an expert on the Oxford theologian John Wycliff and the Hussite movement in 15th Century Bohemia. Lahey teaches courses on Augustine, Dante, medieval theology, the relation of rational and religious thought, European culture before 1000 C.E. and an introductory course on religious studies.

Philip Schwadel’s research explores the changing nature of Americans’ religious and political perspectives, addressing changes over time and between generations. He has examined how higher education and social status influence religious belief. Schwadel searches for social influences, emphasizing how religious congregations, social networks, age, time and other social contexts influence religion and politics. He holds a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University, where he was a postdoctoral researcher with the National study of Youth and Religion for two years. He has been a faculty member in UNL’s Department of Sociology since 2005.