Mark C. Taylor

Mark C. Taylor is the Chair of the Department of Religion at Columbia University and Co-Director of the Institute for Religion, Culture and Public Life. A leading figure in debates about post-modernism, Taylor has written on topics ranging from philosophy, religion, literature, art and architecture to education, media, science, technology and economics.

His many books include: "Journeys to Selfhood: Hegel and Kierkegaard" (1980), "Erring: A Postmodern A/Theology" (1984), "Disfiguring: Art, Architecture, Religion" (1994), "Hiding" (1997), "About Religion: Economies of Faith in Virtual Culture" (1999), "The Moment of Complexity: Emerging Network Culture" (2001), "Confidence Games: Money and Markets in a World Without Redemption" (2006), "Mystic Bones" (2007), and "After God" (2007), “Field Notes from Elsewhere: Reflections on Dying and Living” (2008), “Crisis on Campus: A Bold Plan for Reforming Colleges and Universities” (2010), “Refiguring the Spiritual” (2012), “Rewiring the Real” (2013), “Recovering Place” (2014), and “Speed Limits” (2014), "Last Works: Lessons in Leaving" (2017), "Abiding Grace: Time, Modernity, Death" (2018) and "Seeing Silence" (2020). In addition to his writing, Taylor has produced a CD-ROM, “Motel Real: Las Vegas, Nevada,” and has had an exhibition of the artwork accompanying his book, “Grave Matters,” at the Mass MOCA. Over the years Taylor has also played a major role in introducing new technologies to the classroom. In 1998, he co-founded a company named Global Education Network, whose mission was to introduce high-quality online education in the arts, sciences and humanities to anyone, anywhere in the world. He is also an artist whose exhibitions include: Grave Matters, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (2002), and Sensing Place, Francine and Sterling Clark Art Institute (2016).

Beyond his scholarly work, Taylor contributes to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and other periodicals, and appears regularly on NPR.