Dr. Sylvester Johnson

Professor

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Biography

Sylvester Johnson is a Professor of Black Studies and Religious Studies at Northwestern University. He has been appointed to hold the 2024 Kluge Chair in Technology and Society at the Library of Congress’s Kluge Center. His scholarly work focuses on the intersections of race, religion, and technology, aiming to advance democratic and inclusive outcomes in an innovation-driven society. Johnson's research has examined various themes, including religion, race, and empire in the Atlantic world, the relationship between religion and sexuality, and the ethical implications of national security practices. He explores the impact of intelligent machines on human enhancement and identity, as well as systems of racial domination. Johnson is the author of "Myth Ham Nineteenth-Century American Christianity: Race, Heathens, People God" (Palgrave 2004), which received the American Academy of Religion’s Book award, and "African American Religions, 1500-2000: Colonialism, Democracy, Freedom" (Cambridge 2015), an award-winning interpretation of democracy and colonialism over five centuries in the Atlantic world. He has co-edited significant works such as "FBI Religion: Faith and National Security Post 9/11" (University of California 2017) and "Religion and Empire" (NYU Press 2022). Additionally, he is a founding co-editor of the Journal of Africana Religions and is currently writing a study on human identity in the age of intelligent machines and human-machine symbiosis. Johnson leads the "Future Humans, Human Futures" project supported by the Henry Luce Foundation, which addresses emerging challenges in ethical governance of technology across multiple societal sectors.

Research Interests

Requirements for Northwestern University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
U.S. Bachelor's degree or equivalent
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Statement of purpose
  • Resume/CV
  • TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable)
Specialization Notes

Standard PhD requirements for TGS departments including Chemistry, Physics, and Sociology.