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Jacob Wolf, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Government & Criminal Justice757.352.4014

Jacob Wolf, Ph.D.

Bio

Dr. Jacob Wolf received his B.A. in History and Bible at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, a small Christian liberal arts college in St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science in 2020 from Boston College, where he also received the Donald J. White Award for Teaching Excellence. After obtaining his Ph.D., Jacob was the 2020-21 John and Daria Barry Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the James Madison Program at Princeton University.

Wolf’s research pertains generally to understanding how cultural and political presuppositions affect the practice of religion in America. His goal, in both his teaching and writing, is to better understand how a sincere Christian in the context of modernity one can be. His interests include religion and politics, history of political philosophy (especially French political philosophy) and American political thought and development.

When he is not reading, Wolf can probably be found in the gym, playing board games or hiking with his amazing wife, Alexandra, and his border collie, Bella. He is more than happy to spend an afternoon discussing his favorite authors—which include Plato, Augustine, Alexis de Tocqueville, Fyodor Dostoevsky, C.S. Lewis, and Richard Weaver—especially if it involves coffee. Jacob is also an avid traveler, having visited 28 countries and lived for three summers in southern France.

Publications

  • “The Politics of Moral Revival: James M. Patterson on Jerry Falwell Sr.” The Political Science Reviewer, 45/1, 2021.
  • “The Spirit of Liberalism: A Review of Steven F. Pittz’s Recovering the Liberal Spirit.” Interpretation (forthcoming Fall 2021).

Affiliations

  • Richard M. Weaver Fellow, Intercollegiate Studies Institute
  • JMC Fellow, Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History
  • Humane Studies Fellow, Institute for Humane Studies
  • PLI Alumnus, Philos Leadership Institute, Philos Project
  • Bradley Fellow, Bradley Memorial Foundation

Memberships

  • Communications Officer, Christians in Political Science
  • Member, American Political Science Association
  • Member, James Madison Society, Princeton University

Awards

  • 2020-21 John and Daria Barry Postdoctoral Fellow, James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, Princeton University
  • Donald J. White Award for Teaching Excellence, Boston College (2018)