Morgan Shipley, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality, will begin his five-year appointment as Chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University on July 1, 2026.
Shipley joined the Department of Religious Studies in 2013 after earning a Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies from MSU. In the years since, he has built a distinguished record of scholarship, teaching, and service.
“Dr. Shipley brings a clear and compelling vision for the future of the department, along with a thoughtful and values-driven approach to leadership that centers collaboration, inclusion, and academic excellence,” said Thomas Stubblefield, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters. “I look forward to working with him in this capacity and to supporting the continued growth and success of the department under his leadership.”
In 2021, Shipley was appointed the inaugural Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality, the first position of its kind at MSU and at any U.S. educational institution. The position, named in honor of the late Father Jake Foglio, an MSU alum who served as a faculty member, priest, and mentor to student-athletes and coaches, carries forward Father Foglio’s vision while advancing the study of religion and spirituality in a secular society.
“Dr. Shipley brings a clear and compelling vision for the future of the department, along with a thoughtful and values-driven approach to leadership that centers collaboration, inclusion, and academic excellence.”
Thomas Stubblefield, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters
Shipley has played an active role in the College of Arts & Letters’ Citizen Scholars Program and various departmental committees and working groups, is affiliated faculty with the Center for Gender in Global Context, Muslim Studies, and Jewish Studies, and has spearheaded innovative curricular initiatives that employ a values-based, human-centered framework to strengthen empathy, foster meaningful belonging, and enhance the well-being of students and faculty.
He also served as a member of the College of Arts & Letters Advisory Council Task Force on Non-Tenure-Track Career Pathways, a multi-year initiative that helped develop the college’s Charting Pathways of Intellectual Leadership (CPIL) framework. This work earned the 2024 Delphi Award from the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California, in partnership with the American Association of Colleges & Universities.
Shipley’s research and teaching focus on mystical and esoteric new religions, the growing population of Americans who identify as spiritual but not religious, and the nature and expressions of secular spirituality. His 2015 monograph, Psychedelic Mysticism: Transforming Consciousness, Religious Experiences, and Voluntary Peasants in Postwar America, reframed scholarly understanding of the relationship between mystical consciousness and social change in postwar America, charting a shift from religious membership toward spiritualities defined by a sense of oneness, communal practice, and altruistic engagement. His forthcoming book, Spirituality: The Basics (Routledge), introduces readers to spirituality through a human-centered, interdisciplinary lens, examining how practices of meaning-making, compassion, belonging, and flourishing shape individuals, communities, and contemporary society.
As Chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies, Shipley will oversee the overall operation of the department.
“I see this appointment as a responsibility grounded in my commitment to shared governance, collaboration, and enhancing the collective strengths of our faculty, staff, and students.”
Dr. Morgan Shipley
“I am deeply honored to serve as the next Chair for the Department of Religious Studies,” he said. “It is a true and humbling privilege to represent a community of award-winning instructors and nationally and internationally recognized scholars whose work continues to shape the field in meaningful and exciting ways. I see this appointment as a responsibility grounded in my commitment to shared governance, collaboration, and enhancing the collective strengths of our faculty, staff, and students.”
Shipley is the 2025 recipient of the College of Arts & Letters Faculty Award for Innovation and Leadership, which recognizes faculty who utilize innovative practices in the classroom to find engaging ways to integrate scholarship and teaching and provide rich opportunities for experiential learning beyond the classroom setting. He also is the 2023 recipient of the College of Arts & Letters Faculty Leadership Award, which honors faculty who demonstrate outstanding leadership, generosity, and a commitment to creating vision and excellence in programs and departments.
Shipley has a Master of Arts in Social Sciences with a focus in the Philosophy of Religion from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from DePaul University.
He succeeds Amy DeRogatis, Professor of Religion and American Culture, who has served as Chairperson of MSU’s Department of Religious Studies since July 2021 and will continue in that role through June 30, 2026.
“I am especially grateful to build upon the leadership of Dr. Amy DeRogatis, whose dedication to fostering a supportive, intellectually vibrant department has created lasting opportunities for holistic student growth and faculty development,” Shipley said. “I look forward to continuing that work, strengthening our shared mission, and advancing the impact of Religious Studies at MSU and beyond.”
By Austin Curtis and Kim Popiolek
