I received my PhD in the study of religion from the University of Toronto in 1995, where I earned an MA as well. Prior to that I earned three degrees at Queens University, in Canada--starting out in Life Sciences (or what some once called pre-med). Since 1993 I have worked full time in the US, first as an Instructor at the University of Tennessee (1993-96), then at what was once called Southwest Missouri State University (1996-2001; now Missouri State), and finally moved in 2001 to the University of Alabama, where I am University Research Professor and former Department Chair (serving in the latter role from 2001-2009 and then again from 2013-2023). My work focuses mainly on the history of the study of religion and the practical implications of classification systems, such as the one perhaps most prominent in our field "sacred/secular," but also gives much attention on resources for students and instructors.
I have blogged extensively at my Dept's site (religion.ua.edu/blog) as well as participating in Culture on the Edge, an international research collaboration (edge.ua.edu).
You can find me on X (@McCutcheonSays) and at the Religious Studies Project (https://www.religiousstudiesproject.com/persons/russell-mccutcheon/). Or find me at my Department's page: https://religion.ua.edu/profiles/russell-mccutcheon/
