Steven Foertsch
PhD Candidate Sociology
We recently spoke with Steven Foertsch, a third-year Ph.D. Student in Sociology at Baylor. Baylor's Sociology department is well-respected for training and placing their graduating PhD students. Steven shared some of his research efforts, his interests, and his research trajectory around socio-ontological agency and belief. Foertsch argues that we do not socially exist within a vacuum, rather our concept of belief, agency, and will is determined intersubjectively. Read more from our conversation with Steven below.
Why did you choose to attend Baylor for Graduate School?
As one of the top schools to study the sociology of religion in the country, I was drawn to this university for its scholarly reputation. Since I arrived, I was rewarded with some of the best faculty advising I have ever received in graduate school.
What are your research interests?
I focus on socio-ontological agency and belief—essentially where shared concepts of "reality" emerge from intersubjectivity. I study this most closely in religious and political beliefs. The product usually ends up as writings on new age religious groups, social and political philosophy, political economy, deviance, and pluralism.
What opportunities or implications stem from your research?
How we perceive reality is socio-ontologically determined. This means that everything we perceive as "reality" is largely influenced by interaction with our peers, structures, discourse, etc. This idea clearly has ramifications for the ideotype of "individualism" (contradicting egoist philosophers such as Stirner or Nietzsche)– we do not exist in a vacuum, our concept of belief, agency, will, etc. is determined intersubjectively.
What research excites you right now?
Right now, I am gearing up to start my dissertation, in which I plan to develop a generalized theory of religious schism. I am wrapping up several large projects: 1. on high tension religious groups, such as the Unification Church or the Satanic Temple, and 2. on political reactionary groups, such as the proud boys and QAnon.
How does Baylor help you achieve your research?
As I mentioned above, the faculty have gone above and beyond in terms of advising. Baylor also provides ample funding to cover research and travel expenses, which allow me to network and find data that I wouldn't have been able to if not for these allocations. I am also a research assistant with the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR), and the relationships I’ve been able to develop with advisors in that network have been wonderful.
If you are working on a thesis or dissertation, briefly describe your topic.
Recent news of the United Methodist Church rupture has wracked the religious world, inciting many to ask: “why do religious organizations schism?” The object of my dissertation is to answer this question, and to propose a formal theoretical model that exposes the many complex social processes that lead religious organizations to schism. I have written previously on the schisms within high tension religious groups, often referred to as “cults.” In doing so, I have identified some consistent trends in schisms within sectarian groups (the importance of authority and doctrine, environmental tension, and institutionalization). But do these findings hold up in the case of larger religious groups, such as the Methodist Church? We shall see.
What grants (if any) have you received for your research while at Baylor?
I have received several minor travel grants from various institutions, including the American Sociological Association and Baylor. Recently I received the Outstanding Doctoral Paper Award from the Southwestern Sociological Association for my paper titled “Transhumanism, Metamodernity, and American Transcendentalism: A Case Study of Five Japanese Anime” (Forthcoming in Anime, Philosophy, and Religion from Vernon Press) which came with an allocation. I also was involved in a paid fellowship at George Mason on political economy. Finally, I have indirectly received funding from the Baylor ISR for a project focused on charting all the East Asian diaspora centers of worship in the country.
Featured Publications
Jang, Sung Joon, Foertsch, Steven, Johnson, Byron R., Ozbay, Ozden, and Fatma Takmaz Demire. 2023. “Religiosity and Deviance among College Students in Turkiye: A Test of Ascetic Theory.” Deviant Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2023.2183350
Foertsch, Steven. 2022. “A Field Study Update on Organizational Satanism and Setianism in the United States.” Review of Religious Research 64: 981-996.
Foertsch, Steven. 2022. “Children of the Mind and the Concept of Edge and Center Nations.” Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy vol. 5.
Foertsch, Steven. 2022. “An Organizational Analysis of the Schismatic Church of Satan.” Review of Religious Research 64: 55-76.