Patrick Tugwell
About:
Patrick is a Ph.D. student in the Religions of the Americas field at the Department of Religious Studies at UCSB. His academic background includes comparative religion, constructive theology, applied ethics, and the history of Christianity. His current research focuses on the history of American metaphysical traditions since the nineteenth century.
Patrick holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Economics from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Boston University School of Theology, and a Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) from Yale Divinity School. Inspired by scholars like Catherine Albanese and Kate Bowler, and drawing from his own experience in Corporate America, Patrick’s master’s thesis, titled “The Almighty Dollar,” explored the evolution of self-help religiosity in the United States and its enduring cultural legacy since the eighteenth century.
In addition to his academic work, Patrick is a licensed minister in the United Methodist Church and serves as a hospice and palliative care chaplain in Santa Barbara County. In 2024, he was selected as a FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics) Fellow and completed his residency as a chaplain at Yale-New Haven Hospital. During this time, he presented field research in spiritual care and bioethics at conventions ranging from The American Academy of Religion (AAR) to The College Theology Society (CTS).
