David Keith Bates

Keith Bates (Ph.D., Kansas State University, 2006) joined the Department of History in 2004. At Union, he teaches courses on the history of world civilizations, historiography, and history senior seminar. He also teaches upper-level courses in religious history, including the History of American Fundamentalism, American Christianity and Popular Culture, and History of Christianity. A passionate teacher, Dr. Bates was named Union University’s Faculty of the Year (2010-2011) in recognition of his work in the classroom. Dr. Bates’s research interests include American Protestant fundamentalism, religion and politics in the United States, and the use of Christian imagery in American popular culture. In 2013, he published a chapter on “KJV-Onlyism” in KJV 400: Legacy and Impact. He is currently working on book projects about American civil religion and American fundamentalism.
Dr. Bates is married to his high school sweetheart, Lisa. They are the proud parents of Rachel and Colin.