Dr. Kevin O Neill

Biography

Kevin Lewis O'Neill is a cultural anthropologist and Professor in the Department of Study of Religion at the University of Toronto. He is the Director of the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies and currently serves as the Dean of Arts and Vice-Provost at Trinity College. His research focuses on the moral dimensions of contemporary political practice in Latin America. O'Neill has authored several influential works, including 'City of God: Pentecostalism in Guatemala City' (University of California Press, 2010), 'Secure Soul' (University of California Press, 2015), ‘Hunted’ (University of Chicago Press, 2019), and a bilingual photography book titled 'Art Captivity / Arte del Cautiverio' (University of Toronto Press, 2020).His recent book, 'Unforgivable: Abusive Priests and the Church's Response' (University of California Press, 2025), examines clerical sexual abuse in Latin America, particularly focusing on U.S. priests who sought refuge there to evade prosecution. O'Neill is also the editor of a book series at the University of California Press titled 'Atelier: Ethnographic Inquiry in the Twenty-First Century.'

Research Interests