Jeffery Kinlaw, Ph.D., is professor in McMurry’s Department of Religion and Philosophy. He loves the practice of philosophy and relishes those inspirational moments when a student offers a question or comment he hadn’t anticipated.
Dr. Kinlaw joined McMurry in 1999 from Wake Forest University. During more than three decades of teaching, he’s led a rich variety of courses in philosophy and religion.
In his classes, Dr. Kinlaw focuses almost exclusively on primary texts and guides students in how to understand and evaluate them. Reflection papers challenge students to develop and defend their ideas clearly and effectively. For Dr. Kinlaw, the greatest reward is helping students discover that they can achieve more than they ever imagined.
As a complement to his teaching, Dr. Kinlaw pursues a wide range of research interests, including late 18th- and early 19th-century German philosophy—with a primary focus on epistemology, political philosophy, free will, ethics and the philosophy of religion. He has written and edited dozens of books, articles, chapters and reviews. He lectures frequently at conferences and universities in the U.S. and Europe.
Dr. Kinlaw holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Virginia. He also earned a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest University, where he graduated magna cum laude.
Dr. Kinlaw’s wife, Jean, spent her career in public school education, holding virtually every position except superintendent. Dr. Kinlaw grew up in Southeastern North Carolina, and the beaches of his youth still hold a magical appeal. He travels widely in Europe, plays a respectable game of golf and loves live music—especially the blues.