Shawn's research focuses on the intersection of literature and religion. Specifically his work focuses on conceptions of Wordsworthian Romanticism and new theories of secularization, such as the one presented in Charles Taylor's work, A Secular Age. By tracing the reception of Wordsworth in the Victorian Era, and how Wordsworth is used by current theological movements like the Emergent Church, his research demonstrates the need for a more inclusive reading of Wordsworth. This reading works to understand the relationship of Wordsworthian Romanticism to the Enlightenment, as well as its practical uses in ecological criticism.
Shawn has over 10 years of college and university experience. As an adjunct professor and lecturer Shawn has taught at several universities and colleges including Florida State University, Tallahassee Community College, and Chipola College. In 2016 Shawn joined the faculty of Valencia College as Professor for Humanities. His courses include Introduction to Humanities, Humanities of Greece and Rome, and Humanities of the Enlightenment and Romanticism. These courses are delivered in face-to-face settings and in fully online environments.
Shawn earned his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Humanities from Florida State University in 2012. His dissertation is entitled Wordsworthian Romanticism and New Models of Secularization. Shawn earned his M.A. in Historical Theology from Lincoln Christian Seminary, and his B.A. from Johnson University, Florida.
When Shawn is not teaching he enjoys watching films, the occasional gathering of friends for board games, and lots of time spent his wife and two children.