I am a philosopher at the University of Oxford, specialising in the philosophy of mind—particularly phenomenal consciousness, with a focus on panpsychism and cosmopsychism—and the philosophy of religion. In the latter, my work explores alternative concepts of God, meta-questions about the field’s scope and methodology, its connection to lived spiritual realities, and especially non-religious accounts of ultimate reality and consonant models of the well-lived life. These interests also intersect with broader questions in metaphysics and value theory. In addition, I have expertise in qualitative research methods and a strong interest in how empirical work—especially in theology and religious studies—can inform philosophical reflection, and vice versa.
I have been based at the University of Oxford since 2021, where I have held a series of postdoctoral research positions. I am currently Researcher for the Centre for Philosophical Theology in the Faculty of Theology and Religion. Before this, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Researcher Co-Investigator on the Non-Religious Spiritual Practice and the Well-Lived Life project (with Professor Mark Wynn), funded by the John Fell Fund. Prior to that, I was Postdoctoral Research Fellow on the God-Concepts and Spiritual Wellbeing project led by Professor Wynn.
I received my PhD in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham in 2020, under the supervision of Professor Yujin Nagasawa. My thesis was titled Panpsychism and Cosmopsychism.
You can find my various profiles at the following links: Google Scholar / PhilPeople / ORCID
New Article in Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care
This study explores Christian spiritual directors’ understandings of the relationship between God-concepts and spiritual well-being. Taking participants’ own conceptualization of spiritual well-being as the basis, the study explores how they understand God-concepts (their own and those of their directees) to inform, facilitate, or otherwise relate to spiritual well-being so conceived. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was used, which involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with six Christian spiritual directors from a range of traditions. Analysis resulted in four group experiential themes: ‘experience of God over an intellectual view of God’; ‘an apophatic approach to understanding God’; ‘growing in spiritual well-being involves growing out of concepts of God’; and; ‘divine love, presence, and availability as relationship anchors’. The findings of the study have potentially wide-ranging implications, informing discussions in philosophy, theology, pastoral care, and psychology.
God Concepts and Spiritual Well-Being
Special Issue of AGATHEOS: European Journal for Philosophy of Religion
Edited by Khai Wager and Mark Wynn
Falling in Love Outward: Pantheism and Spiritual Well-Being
New Paper in Special Issue of AGATHEOS: European Journal for Philosophy of Religion on 'God Concepts and Spiritual Well-Being'
Non-Religious Spiritual Practice and the Well-Lived Life
New Project at the University of Oxford
Funded by the Oxford University Press John Fell Fund