Dr James A.T. Lancaster is an intellectual historian serving as Lecturer in Studies in Western Religious Traditions in the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry within the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Queensland. He obtained his PhD from the Warburg Institute, University of London, following an MA and HBA from the University of Toronto. Before his current role, he held a position as UQ Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities. His unconventional academic path, sparked by a high school Classics course, led him through studies in Medieval Studies, Religion, and Philosophy.

Lancaster's academic interests center on the history of science and religion, atheism and irreligion, and the psychology of religion, with a focus on Francis Bacon's philosophical and religious thought. He has contributed significantly through numerous publications, including co-editing Evidence in the Age of the New Sciences (Springer, 2018) and Francis Bacon on Motion and Power (Springer, 2016). Prominent articles feature "From matters of faith to matters of fact: the problem of priestcraft in early modern England" (Intellectual History Review, 2018), "Priestcraft: Early modern variations on the theme of sacerdotal imposture" (Intellectual History Review, 2018), "Natural histories of religion: a (Baconian) 'science'?" (Perspectives on Science, 2012), and "Natural knowledge as a propaedeutic to self-betterment: Francis Bacon and the transformation of natural history" (Early Science and Medicine, 2012). As a member of the Editorial Board for the Oxford Francis Bacon critical edition and special issues editor for Intellectual History Review, he shapes ongoing scholarship. Lancaster received 2018 UQ Early Career Researcher funding for exploring legitimate conflict in the history of science and religion. In teaching, he cultivates excitement for learning and critical reflection in students of Western religious traditions.

Professional Email: j.lancaster@uq.edu.au