Professor Dr. Leonard Mckinnis

Biography

Leonard C. McKinnis is an Associate Professor jointly appointed to the Department of African American Studies and the Department of Religion at Illinois University. He specializes in African American religions and actively serves in leadership roles within the broader academic community, including positions in the American Academy of Religion and as General Editor of the Religion, Race, and Ethnicity Series for NYU Press. His research focuses on the intersection of Black religion, Black theologies, liberation, New Religious Movements, and ethnographic approaches to the study of religion. His notable publication, 'Black Coptic Church: Race, Imagination, New Religion' (NYU Press, 2023), aims to expand scholarly narratives surrounding African American religion, particularly beyond mainstream Protestant groups. This work discusses the performative imagination within the context of Blackness and seeks to illuminate the multifaceted religious experiences and expressions of African Americans.

Research Interests

Experience

Courses