The Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion at the University of Chicago Divinity School is pleased to introduce Joel A. Brown as the ninth Managing Editor of Sightings. His predecessor, Brett Colasacco, graduated with a PhD in religion, literature, and visual culture from the University of Chicago, where he now works as a writer.

Joel is a PhD Candidate in Religions in America at the Divinity School, where his research focuses on histories of race and religion in nineteenth- and twentieth-century America. He is working on a dissertation titled "Breaking the Spiritual Bondage of Whiteness: Race and Social Christianity in Progressive Era Chicago." Previously, Joel was the Editor of the Marty Center's other digital publication, the Religion & Culture Forum, which hosts conversations about the relationship between scholarly work on religion and global public cultures. 

If you have queries about the Marty Center publications or are interested in writing for Sightings, you can contact Mr. Brown at divsightings@gmail.com.