David Morgan is Professor of Religious Studies at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina, with an additional appointment in Duke's Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies. Morgan served as the Chair in the Department of Religious Studies in Trinity College of Duke University from 2013 to 2016. He is the author of numerous books, including The Forge of Vision (2015), The Embodied Eye (2012), and The Sacred Gaze (2005).

Biography He holds a BA in Studio Art (concentration on sculpture) at Concordia College (1980), a MA in Art History at the University of Arizona (1984), and a PhD in Art History at the University of Chicago (1990), He taught at Valparaiso University from 1990 to 2007, where he was the Duesenberg Professor in Christianity and the Arts, in the honors college of Valparaiso University.

Academic work

Morgan’s writing has focused on the history of Protestant visual culture since the eighteenth century. He has also studied Catholic devotional images, the history of art theory, and religion and media. He was co-founder and is co-editor of the journal, Material Religion, and co-edits two book series at Routledge (London): Religion, Media, Culture, and Research in Religion, Media, and Culture. He is an Elected Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University and Elected member of the American Antiquarian Society.

Morgan is a recipient of the Annual Book Award from the Association of American Publishers in Professional and Scholarly Publishing for 1999 in the category of Religion and Philosophy for the book Protestants and Pictures: Religion, Visual Culture, and the Age of American Mass Production. His edited volume Icons of American Protestantism: The Art of Warner Sallman received the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Book for 1996 from the American Library Association.

His books include: Morgan, David (2018). Images at Work: The Material Culture of Enchantment, Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. Morgan, David (2015). The Forge of Vision: A Visual History of Modern Christianity, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Morgan, David (2012). The Embodied Eye: Religious Visual Culture and the Social Life of Feeling, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. It had reviews in CHOICE (2012), Choice Reviews, September 2012. . IMAGE online,, last accessed 29 October 2014. Religious Studies Review, Arnold, J.W (2012). The Embodied Eye: Religious Visual Culture and the Social Life of Feeling. By David Morgan, Religious Studies Review Vol. 38, No. 4, p. 233. American Anthropologist,Bandak, Andreas (2014). The Embodied Eye: Religious Visual Culture and the Social Life of Feeling, American Anthropologist Vol. 116, No. 1, pp. 220-21. Art and Christianity,Jasper, David (2014). The Embodied Eye, Art and Christianity] No. 79, Autumn 2014, p. 13. Journal of Religion in Europe,Scheer, Monique (2012)] David Morgan, The Embodied Eye: Religious Visual Culture and the Social Life of Feeling, Journal of Religion in Europe Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 531-33. Critical Research on Religion,Stimson, Blake (2014). David Morgan, The Embodied Eye: Religious Visual Culture and the Social Life of Feeling, Critical Research on Religion August 2014 No. 2, pp. 215-218 and Journal of Religion and Popular Culture.Wagner, Dana Wiggins Logan (2013). The Embodied Eye: Religious Visual Culture and the Social Life of Feeling, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 165-66.

Morgan, David (2008). The Sacred Heart of Jesus: The Visual Evolution of a Devotion, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. Morgan, David (2007). The Lure of Images: A History of Religion and Visual Media in America, New York: Routledge. It had reviews in Choice Reviews, The Journal of American History,Mathews, Mary Beth Swetnam (2009). The Lure of Images, Journal of American History Vol. 95, No. 4. Church History,Ramji, Rubina (2010). The Lure of Images: A History of Religion and Visual Media in America, Church History, vol. 79, no. 4, pp. 962-963. Nova Religio,Siegler, Elijah (2010). Book Review, Nova Religio Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 120-21. and Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion.Tiitsman, Jenna (2009). The Lure of Images: A History of Religion and Visual Media in America, Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion Vol. 48, No. 2, June 2009, pp. 405-408. Morgan, David (2005). The Sacred Gaze: Religious Visual Culture in Theory and Practice, Berkeley: University of California Press. It had reviews in Choice Reviews,. November 2005. Scripture Bulletin, Scripture Bulletin Vol. 36, No. 1, p. 34. (2006) The Art Newspaper, The Art Newspaper No. 167, March 2006, p. 44. (2006) Winterthur Portfolio,Buggeln, Gretchen (2007, Book Reviews - The Sacred Gaze: Religious Visual Culture in Theory and Practice, Winterthur Portfolio Vol. 41, No. 2/3, pp. 193-94. American Journal of Sociology,Carroll, Michael P. (2006). Book Reviews - The Sacred Gaze: Religious Visual Culture in Theory and Practice, American Journal of Sociology Vol. 111, No. 5, pp. 1611-1613. Church History,Dunn, Allen (2006). Book Reviews and Notes- The Sacred Gaze, Church History Vol. 75, No. 3, p. 708. The Expository Times,Mitchell, Jolyon (2008). Book Review: Spiritual Images. David Morgan, The Sacred Gaze: Religious Visual Culture in Theory and Practice, 21, no. 2, 2008, p. 101 Material Religion,Pattison, Stephen (2006). The Sacred Gaze: Religious Visual Culture in Theory and Practice, Material Religion Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 121-22. Missiology: An International Review,Schrodt, Paul (2007). The Sacred Gaze: Religious Visual Culture in Theory and Practice, Missiology: An International Review Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 461-62. and Journal of Religion.Winfield, Pamela (2007). Book Reviews - The Sacred Gaze: Religious Visual Culture in Theory and Practice, Journal of Religion Vol. 87, no. 1, pp. 150-51. Morgan, David (1999). Protestants and Pictures: Religion, Visual Culture, and the Age of American Mass Production, New York: Oxford University Press. It had reviews in The Christian Century, The Cresset, Journal of American History, The Historian, Journal of Religion and Popular Culture Baker, Kelly J. (2003). Protestants and Pictures: Religion, Visual Culture, and the Age of American Mass Production, Journal of Religion and Popular Culture Vol. 5, No. 1, online; Religious Studies Review,Maclean, Iain S. (2000). Protestants and Pictures: Religion, Visual Culture, and the Age of American Mass Production, Religious Studies Review] Vol. 26, No. 4, p. 401. The American Historical Review,Moorhead, James H. (2001). Reviews of Books – Canada and the United States, Protestants and Pictures: Religion, Visual Culture, and the Age of American Mass Production, American Historical Review Vol. 106, No. 3, pp. 983-84. Church History,Sack, Daniel (2001). Book Reviews and Notes- Protestants and Pictures, Church History Vol. 70, No. 2, pp. 387-88 Books & Culture,Siedell, Daniel (2000) Protestants and Pictures, Books & Culture Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 31-34. Journal of Religion,Tweed, Thomas (2001). Book Reviews - Protestants and Pictures, Journal of Religion Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 468-70. and CAA Reviews.Zalesch, Saul (2000). Protestants and Pictures,CAA Reviews . Morgan, David (1998). Visual Piety: A History and Theory of Popular Religious Images, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. It was reviewed in Publishers Weekly,Publishers Weekly October 11, 1997. Anglican Theological Review,. Anglican Theological Review 12. (1998) Art Book Review, Art Book Review, Spring 1998. Choice Reviews, Choice Reviews Online 35, No. 8, April 1998, #35-4290. Christian Scholar’s Review, Christian Scholar’s Review Vol. 28, No. 2, Winter 1998, pp. 360-62. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion,Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion Vol. 37, No. 3, p. 555.(1998) The Art Newspaper, The Art Newspaper Vol. 9, No. 83, July/August 1998, p. 33. Books & Culture,Books & Culture Vol. 5, No. 2, March/April 1999, p. 50. Communication Research Trends, Communication Research Trends January 1999. Theology Digest, Theology Digest Vol. 46, No. 4, Winter 1999, p. 378. Washington Post,Washington Post, Book World, Hardcovers in Brief, February 15, 1998, p. 13. Catholic Historical Review, Catholic Historical Review Vol. 85, No. 2, April 1999, pp. 321-2. The Christian Century, The Christian Century April 14, 1999, pp. 427-28. Fides et Historia, Fides et Historia] Vol. 32, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2000, pp. 140-41. Religion,Religion 30, pp. 191-92. (2000) Kunst,(2002). Kunst 78, p. 170. Winterthur Portfolio,David Morgan, Visual Piety: A History and Theory of Popular Religious Images, Winterthur Portfolio Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 295-99. Hawkins, P. (1998) The Journal of American History,Johnston, P. (1999). Morgan, Visual Piety, Journal of American History Vol. 85, No. 4, 1999, pp. 1666-67. Journal of the American Academy of Religion,Mahan, Jeffrey (1999). Book Reviews - Visual Piety: A History and Theory of Popular Religious Images, Journal of the American Academy of Religion Vol. 67, No. 1, p. 237. Journal of Religion,Marling, Karal Ann (1999). Book Reviews - Visual Piety: A History and Theory of Popular Religious Images, Journal of Religion Vol. 79, No. 3, pp. 518-19. Nova Religio,Sexson, Lynda (1998). Visual Piety: A History and Theory of Popular Religious Images, Nova Religio Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 160-61. The HEYTHROP Journal,Walsh, Michael (1998). Visual Piety: A History and Theory of Popular Religious Images, HEYTHROP Journal and Journal of American Studies.Vol. 39, No. 3, p. 349-350.Williams, Peter (2003). David Morgan, Visual Piety, Journal of American Studies Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 135-37.

His edited volumes include: Morgan, David (2010). ed. Religion and Material Culture: The Matter of Belief, London and New York: Routledge. Morgan, David (2008). ed. Key Words in Media, Religion, and Culture, London: Routledge. Elkins, James and David Morgan (2008). eds. Re-Enchantment, New York, NY: Routledge. Morgan, David and Sally M. Promey (2001). eds. The Visual Culture of American Religions, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Morgan, David (1996). ed. Icons of American Protestantism: The Art of Warner Sallman, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

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