His research spans across the disciplines of philosophy and religious studies, focusing primarily on social ethics, political philosophy, comparative religion, cultural criticism, and issues in higher education.He has been a frequent presenter at conferences such as the American Academy of Religion, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and the American Democracy Project (American Association of State Colleges and Universities). He has authored numerous articles, book chapters, and five books: Mediating the Culture Wars: Dialogical Virtues in Multicultural Education (2003), Judge and Be Judged: Moral Reflection in an Age of Relativism and Fundamentalism (2006), Game Day and God: Football, Faith, and Politics in the American South (2009), Violence in Southern Sport and Culture: Sacred Battles on the Gridiron (2016), and Understanding Sport as a Religious Phenomenon: An Introduction (2016), co-authored with D. Gregory Sapp. His current manuscript project is entitled The End(s) of Religion: How the Study of Religion Makes Religion Irrelevant(contracted with Bloomsbury Press).

Given his background, he can speak on a wide range of topics, including higher education, the study of religion, religion and popular culture (particular sport), and contemporary moral and political issues.