Overview
Liam Greenwell is a PhD student in sociocultural anthropology. His research focuses on evangelical Christianity in the US South, specifically Western Kentucky. He examines the interlinkages between religious, racial, and political identity among white evangelicals through the lens of salvation: the process of converting and “being saved” as an individual as well as discourses of “saving America” that link religious concerns to national anxieties over belonging, citizenship, and race. He works in a range of churches and charitable organizations, including those affiliated with large Protestant denominations such as the Southern Baptist Convention as well as non-denominational and alternative churches. He is also interested in Christian nationalism and right-wing political movements. For the 2026-27 academic year, Liam is a Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures Student Fellow.
Prior to his time at Cornell, Liam worked as a bilingual educator and writer in Mexico City and as a middle school teacher in Chicago. He graduated from Brown University with a dual degree in History and South Asian Studies. For his thesis, he completed ethnographic research in Manipur, India, with the support of the Center for Contemporary South Asia at the Watson Institute.
Selected writing:
“The Solution is Jesus: Christian Nationalism from Brazil to the United States” in The Revealer. Link.