Micah J Watson
- Dr. Micah J Watson
- Professor;
Director, PPE Program;
Executive Director, Henry Institute, Paul Henry Chair in Christianity and Politics - Politics and Economics, Politics, Henry Institute
- Hiemenga Hall 455
- (616) 526-6230
- micah.watson@calvin.edu
- Curriculum Vitae
Education
Professor Watson is a native of the great golden state of California where he completed his undergraduate degree at U.C. Davis. He earned his M.A. degree in Church-State Studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and holds M.A. and doctorate degrees in Politics from Princeton University. Professor Watson joined the faculty at Calvin College in the fall of 2015. He was also selected to serve as the William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar Chair for the 2015-16 year, and became the Program Director for Calvin's new Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) Program in 2020. Also in 2020, he became the Executive Director of the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics and is currently the Paul B. Henry Chair in Political Science.
Biography
Recent Activities
Professor Watson’s research agenda includes ongoing projects on John Locke, a co-authored book on the political thought of C.S. Lewis, and a collaborative effort with his political theory counterparts at Wheaton and Westmont to consider the possibility of an evangelical tradition of political thought.
Hobbies
Professor Watson’s hobbies include basketball, long road trips, rooting for the PAC-12, pretending to be a film critic, and sled run design. He and his wife Julie have four daughters and a son: Abigail, Anastasia, Annika, Alexandra, and John. Accompanied by their decidedly non-pacifist cats, the Watsons make their home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Academic interests
Micah Watson's broad research interests include political philosophy, politics and religion, politics and literature, ethics and public policy, and constitutional jurisprudence.
Office hours
| by appointment |
Additional open hours and appointments can be arranged, on request.
Publications
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Natural Law and Evangelical Political Thought 1st Edition
Contributor(s): Vincent Bacote, J. Budziszewski, J. Daryl Charles, Jesse Couenhoven, Paul R. DeHart and others.
Published: November 16, 2012
ISBN: 978-0739173220
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The 'late Rawls': What is Public Reason? in Justice as Unfairness: John Rawls and Christian Social Engagement
by Micah Watson
Published: December 18, 2015
ISBN: 978-1498504942
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C.S. Lewis on Politics and the Natural Law
by Micah J. Watson, Justin Buckley Dyer
Published: July 31, 2016
ISBN: 9781107108240
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Religious Liberty for Christian Higher Education and the Common Good in Symposium on Religious Liberty and Christian Higher Education
by Micah Watson
Published: February 12, 2017
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Constitutional Framework for Dealing with Public Policy Issues in Respectful Conversation
by Micah Watson, Kathy Lee
Published: October 1, 2015
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To Defend or Defund? Evangelicals Go Wobbly on Planned Parenthood, Public Justice, and Moral Judgment in Public Discourse
by Micah Watson
Published: June 8, 2016
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Another Meditation on the Third Commandment in Perspectives on Political Science
by Micah Watson
Published: December 9, 2016
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Natural Law in the Abolition of Man in Contemporary Perspectives on the Abolition of Man
by Micah Watson
Published: January 14, 2017
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Faith, Ethics, and Culture in Christian Higher Education: Teaching and Learning in the Evangelical Tradition
by Micah Watson
Published: August 20, 2018
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C.S. Lewis and Aristotle on Civic Friendship in Public Discourse
by Micah Watson
Published: October 23, 2018
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The Damned Neighbors Problem: Rousseau’s Civil Religion Revisited in Religions
by Micah Watson
Published: April 15, 2019
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Evangelical Conscience in American Politics and History in Christianity and the Laws of Conscience: An Introduction
by Micah Watson
Published: November 1, 2020
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"Church and State" and "The Bible and Government Models" in CSB Worldview Bible
Published: May 15, 2018
- “Beholden to Revelation? Scripture’s Role as Public Knowledge and Moral Authority” in Reason, Revelation, and the Civic Order: Political Philosophy and the Claims of Faith, ed. Paul DeHart and Carson Holloway (Northern Illinois Press, 2014).
- “Who Appeals to Heaven? King James I and John Locke on Scripture & Political Authority” in KJV 400 Legacy and Impact, ed. Ray Van Neste (Borderstone Press, 2012).
- “Statecraft as Soulcraft: The Case for Morals Legislation” in A Second Look at First Things: A Case for Conservative Politics: The Hadley Arkes Festschrift, eds. Francis Beckwith, Susan McWilliams, and Robert P. George (St. Augustine Press, 2013).
In the news
Micah Watson begins as Spoelhof Chair
Political science professor and Spoelhof Chair Micah Watson joined the Calvin faculty in 2015. In a Q&A, he shares why he's here, what he's researching and where his passions lie.
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