J. Derrick Lemons is Professor and Department Head of religion, the Religion Fellow for the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, and the director of the Center for Theologically Engaged Anthropology. Beginning Fall 2024, he will represent the University of Georgia on the University System of Georgia's faculty council. A recipient of two major John Templeton Foundation grants. Lemons was awarded the Albert Christ-Janer Creative Research Award and the University of Georgia Student Government Association Outstanding Professor Award. Dr. Lemons was the regionally elected coordinator (2019-2023) and president (2019-2020) for the AAR’s Southeast Region.

His research and teaching are guided by his interest in the intentional innovations of religious subcultures and the influence of theology in religion across time and space. Currently, he is writing an ethnography about Former President Trump’s evangelical advisors. His recent publications include Book Forum on Joel Robbins' Theology and the Anthropology of  Christian Life (History and Anthropology 2022); The Room Where It Happened: How Evangelical Leaders Used a Closed-Door Meeting to Change Sentiment for Donald J. Trump (The Australian Journal of Anthropology 2022); Introduction: From Rupture to Repair (The Australian Journal of Anthropology 2022);  An Introduction to Theologically Engaged Anthropology (Ethnos 2021); and Theologically Engaged Anthropology (Oxford University Press 2018). 

He is currently accepting PhD and MA graduate students in the following areas: Anthropology of Christianity, Theologically Engaged Anthropology, and Evangelical Politics.

Email: dlemons@uga.edu

Phone: 706-206-1927