Kevin "Kev" Grane
Educator - Scholar - Pastor
Kevin “Kev” Grane is a PhD Candidate (ABD) in the joint program at the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology in Colorado, USA. Demographically, Kev specializes in American Christian Nationalism and religious “nones” and brings over a decade of ministry experience in youth and young-adult contexts to this work, which informs his sensitivity to the lived stakes of belief, doubt, and deconversion. As a Christian scholar, Kev is explicit about his positionality, approaching his research with both critical rigor and confessional transparency, attentive to the ethical responsibilities that come with studying communities to which he remains spiritually and biographically connected.Pedagogically, Kev utilizes a comparative critical lens directed toward decoding lived practices. He highlights the comprehensive, necessarily intersectional contexts of religious identity formation to give voice to the ideologically marginalized and to appreciate native rationalities, while remaining reflective about how his own theological commitments and ministerial background shape the questions he asks and the interpretations he offers.
Teaching
My teaching philosophy is rooted in open and honest discourse, grounded in the conviction that students learn best when they can speak, question, and disagree in good faith. In my classes, I work to build a culture where all students feel invited to bring their perspectives and experiences to the table, and where we treat one another’s contributions with charity and rigor. I am transparent about my expectations and my own standpoint, and I encourage students to do the same, so that we can examine ideas rather than attacking people. Through structured discussion, careful listening, and thoughtful feedback, I aim to help students practice the difficult but essential work of engaging complex texts and controversial issues with both intellectual honesty and mutual respect.2025 - Current
Metropolitan State University, Denver CO
Adjunct Professor
“Religions of Aisa” – Spring 2026
“Morality and the Good Life” – Spring 2026
“Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” – Fall 2025Front Range Community College, Denver, CO
Adjunct Professor
“Ethics” – Fall 2026
“Introduction to Philosophy” – Fall 20262021 – 2024
University of Denver; Denver, CO
Teaching Assistant
“Buddhism in the USA” – Winter 2024.
“Hebrew Bible” – Winter 2024.
“Islam on Film” – Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
“Art, Thought, and Spirituality” – Winter 2022.
“Bible as Literature” – Spring 2022.
“Abrahamic Traditions” – Fall 2021.2019 - 2021
University of Oklahoma, Norman OK
Teaching Assistant:
“Gateway to College Learning” - Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Spring 2021.
Publications
I am committed to publishing and creating public-facing scholarship that contributes meaningfully to contemporary discourse. I see writing as a way not only to advance academic conversations but also to translate complex ideas into accessible forms that can serve communities beyond the academy. My work aims to bridge scholarly rigor and public relevance, addressing questions at the intersection of philosophy, religion, ethics, and social life in ways that are clear, critical, and constructive. Whether through articles, essays, or other media, I strive to produce scholarship that invites dialogue, challenges assumptions, and equips readers to think more deeply and act more responsibly in the world.
- “Nones and Near-Death Experiences: A Critical Insight” CG Scholar, 2025.
- “Postmodern Westernization as Religious Polarization” NEXT Journal at University of Colorado Boulder, Volume 8, 2025.
- “Faith and Transitions: Religious Notions of Accountability and Gender Affirming Care for Youth” The Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory, Jan 2025.
- “Religious Sacrificial Sympathy: How Man Became More Valuable Than Beast” Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory, Spring 2024.
- “Dangerous Ramifications of Recent Ghar Wapsi Efforts” NEXT Journal at University of Colorado Boulder, 2024.
Ministry
For the past ten years, my ministerial work has focused on youth and young adults, walking with them through seasons of questioning, formation, and transition. In church, campus, and community settings, I have led Bible studies, retreats, and small groups; preached and taught regularly; and developed programs that combine theological reflection with practices of service, justice, and spiritual growth. This ministry has taught me to listen carefully, to communicate across differences, and to meet people where they are while gently inviting them deeper into Christian faith and community. It has also shaped my pastoral imagination in the classroom, where I see students not only as learners but as emerging adults discerning identity, vocation, and belonging.2023 – 2025
Forefront Church, Denver CO
Associate Pastor2021 – 2023
Forefront Church, Denver CO
NextGen Pastor2019 – 2021
Mission OKC, Oklahoma City, OK
Associate Pastor2018 – 2019
The Road Church
Assistant Youth Pastor
EDUCATION
2023 - Present
PhD Religious Studies - Coursework Completed; All but
Dissertation (ABD)
Joint Doctoral Program, University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology – Denver, Colorado
Thesis: “Experiencing God Through the Nation: Ritual, Experience, and the Lived Theology of American Christian Nationalism”
Committee: Drs. Antony Alumkal, Carl Raschke, Ted Vial, and Samuel Perry2026 – Present
MA Philosophy
The Global Center for Advanced Studies - Dublin, Ireland
Focus: Phenomenology and Political Philosophy
Thesis: “Phenomenology of Certainty: Experiential Implications of Religious Philosophy”2021 – 2023
MA Religious Studies
University of Denver – Denver, Colorado
Focus: Critical Theory
Thesis: “The American Religious Decision: Significant Influences Upon the Religious Decision and the Decline of Christianity”2017 – 2021
BA, Religious Studies
University of Oklahoma
__________________________________________________________Kevin (“Kev”) Grane is a scholar of religion and philosophy and a practicing minister whose work bridges academic research, undergraduate teaching, and church-based ministry. Originally from Plano, Texas, he came to Christian faith as a teenager, an experience that set him on a path toward both pastoral ministry and the academic study of religion. He earned his BA in Religious Studies from the University of Oklahoma and an MA in Religious Studies from the University of Denver, and he is currently a PhD candidate in the joint doctoral program at the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology, focusing on religious identity formation, White Christian nationalism, and religious “nones.”Over the past decade, Kev has served in a variety of ministerial roles—including youth and young adult ministry, campus ministry, and associate pastor positions—working with hundreds of students and emerging adults through preaching, teaching, mentoring, and community outreach. In the classroom, he has taught courses in world religions, ethics, and comparative traditions, using a comparative, critical lens that attends to lived practices, intersectional contexts, and the voices of those who are often marginalized in religious discourse. His published work engages contemporary issues at the intersection of religion, ethics, and culture, and he is committed to producing accessible, public-facing scholarship as well as rigorous academic research. Across his scholarship, teaching, and ministry, Kev seeks to foster open and honest discourse, careful listening, and communities where people can ask hard questions, pursue truth together, and imagine more just and hopeful futures.
Thank you!
Thank you for visiting my site and taking the time to learn more about my work. If you have any questions, would like additional information, or are interested in collaborating, please feel free to contact me using the email provided. I look forward to hearing from you![email protected]
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