FOCUS

My main field of research is decolonial thought, especially as advanced by Latin American and Caribbean philosophies. I am thus interested in topics such as the theory and practice of epistemic decolonization; the method, ethics, and politics of liberation philosophy; the Afro-Caribbean anti-colonial tradition, particularly in the works of Sylvia Wynter and Frantz Fanon; the history of Latin American thought; and decolonial feminisms. One aspect of my work, for instance, employs the frameworks of decolonial thinking to examine the intersection between religion, politics, and secularization. This is an inquiry that brings together discussions in philosophy, sociology, and anthropology of religion, as well as political theology, liberation theologies, and critical social theory. I also have interests in critical philosophy of race and comparative philosophy.

PROJECTS

I am writing a book tentatively titled Decolonizing the Postsecular, which brings debates on epistemic decolonization to bear on theories of secularization and postsecularity as developed by figures such as Jürgen Habermas and Charles Taylor. It traces the relationship between secularism and colonization and offers an account of the modern dialectics of secularization from the perspective of Latin American and Caribbean decolonial thought. Published articles related to this project can be found in the APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, and Comparative and Continental Philosophy.

I am also exploring two related constellations that stretch out from Decolonizing the Postsecular. First, the relevance of spirituality to decolonization, which I have explored in an editorial capacity in special issues for The CLR James Journal and LÁPIZ. Second, the relation between philosophy of religion and political theology in the context of epistemic decolonization, which I have thus far explored through Latin American liberation philosophy in the Journal of World Philosophies.

My more general contributions to decolonial thinking can be found in the anthology Decolonising the University (concerning the discipline of philosophy), and TRANSMODERNITY: Journal of Peripheral Cultural Production of the Luso-Hispanic World (on the Zapatistas).

See my Academia page for access to final drafts of all my publications.

Besides DePaul, Rutgers, and Northwestern, my research has been financially supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the Ford Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, and the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy.