James Hooks

Assistant Director 

Lecturer 

Originally from Canada, Hooks now lives in Gainesville Florida with his wife and two daughters, working as Assistant Director for the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education. He is currently reading for the DPhil in Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford as a Doctoral Fellow for the Social Science and Humanities Research Council. His research investigates the influence of the French Calvinist and sceptical philosopher Pierre Bayle (1647-1706) on the history of religious toleration, especially his reception in early eighteenth-century England. He is particularly interested in the relationship between religious thought and political ideas in the wake of the Protestant Reformation and how ideas about salvation, epistemology, and human nature influenced society and politics. James enjoys teaching and has held positions in Canada, Japan, as well as the United Kingdom at Oxford University. From 2020-2023, James was acting manager of the Canterbury Institute where he managed a multi-million-dollar budget, helped direct operations, organized academic programming, and coordinated with faculty and students from the University of Oxford.  

Website