About

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics at Fairfield University.  I graduated with my Ph.D. in Political Science from Brown University in May 2016.

My subfields are American Politics and Political Theory, and my area of expertise is American political thought broadly, and specifically American religion.  I identify as an interdisciplinary scholar, drawing on works from sociology, history, and religious studies.

My research agenda asks a simple question: is the line between secular and religious thought in the United States as solid as we presume?  If this line is blurred, then what does it tell us about how Americans engage in political discourse?  I examine movement rhetoric from two periods–the 1930s and 2010s–to shed light on this puzzle.  I propose that the United States has a civil religion built around two symbols: its founding covenant, often Constitution, and the office of the presidency.  Around these symbols swirl a political rhetoric shot-through with reverence.

On this website you can find information about my current and future projects, teaching pedagogy, as well as a complete C.V.  There is also a section detailing my use of in-class simulations.  Navigate either through the toolbar up at the top, or the site map to the right.

If you would like to contact me, either visit the “Contact” tab, or send an email to aaronqweinstein@gmail.com.  You can also visit my Academia.edu page.