Faculty Profile for Dr. Joseph Laycock

profile photo for Dr. Joseph Laycock
Dr. Joseph Laycock
Associate Professor — Philosophy
CMAL 207-C
phone: (512) 245-3145
Scholarly/Creative Work
Awards
Service

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 Joseph Laycock is an assistant professor of religious studies at Texas State University. He has written several books on new religious movements and American religious history. He is also a co-editor for the journal Nova Religio.

Teaching Interests

 theory and method in religious studies; new religious movements; American religious history

Research Interests

 moral panic; religion and role-playing games; Marian apparitions; spirit possession

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Laycock, J. P. (2024). A Cult by Any Other Name: Is ‘High Demand Group’ a Useful Category? Nova Religio, 28(1), 90–104.
  • LAYCOCK, J. P. (2022). New Religious Movements: The Basics. United States: Routledge.
  • Laycock, J. P. (2018). Vampirism: Modern Vampires and Embattled Identity Claims. In The Supernatural in Society, Culture, and History (pp. 177–189). Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
  • Laycock, J. P. (2015). Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds. University of California Press.
  • Laycock, J. P. (2014). The Seer of Bayside: Veronica Lueken, a Marian Apparition, and the Struggle to Define Catholic Tradition. Oxford University Press.

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, Favorite Professor, Spring 2016., Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, Alfred H. Nolle Chapter. May 1, 2016
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Golden Apple Award for Scholarly/Creative Activity, Texas State University. 2015
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities (Philosophy), Texas State University College of Liberal Arts. 2015
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Tenth Annual Thomas Robbins Award for Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements. 2012
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Angela J. and James J. Rallis Memorial Award/Alice M. Brennan Humanities Award for research in the Humanities, Boston University Humanities Foundation. 2011

Selected Service Activities

Organizer
Religious Studies Program Coordinator
January 20, 2021-Present
Member
Curriculum Committee
August 20, 2020-Present
Member
Research Committee
September 1, 2017-Present
Member
AAR Guide Star for Undergraduate Religious Literacy
2016-Present
Editor
Nova Religio
September 1, 2016-Present