Dr. Webb Keane

Biography

Webb Keane is the George Herbert Mead Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. He specializes in studying indigenous religious systems in colonial and post-colonial contexts, with a particular emphasis on conversion and the intersections of Christianity and indigenous beliefs in regions such as Sumba (eastern Indonesia) and contemporary Indonesian Islam. His comparative theoretical work focuses on semiotics, language, secularism, ethics and morality, and materiality. Keane is currently engaged in research regarding religious responses and appropriations of new technologies, with a specific interest in artificial intelligence. His extensive academic background includes a PhD from the University of Chicago and a BA from Yale College.

Research Interests