Brett Patterson grew up in coastal Carolina and pursued a B. A. in English at Furman University. Discovering the field of religion and literature, he completed graduate degrees at Duke University and the University of Virginia. After teaching at Meredith College, Anderson University, and Francis Marion University, he came to Clemson. His research interests include interfaith friendship, ecumenical theology, virtue ethics, and the unique expression of religious meaning in narrative forms, particularly science fiction, fantasy (especially Tolkien), and legal dramas. After publishing a novel of his own, he incorporates creative writing into his seminars.
He also is the author of Narrative Theology and Cultural Dialogue (Bloomsbury, 2027), which builds on the legacy of H. Richard Niebuhr and Stanley Hauerwas to focus attention on how the dialogic possibilities in the structure of performed narratives open the door to both integrity and hospitality. In addition, he has written a series of articles for Blackwell's Philosophy and Popular Culture series, using philosophy and theology to evaluate television shows Lost, 24, and Avatar: The Last Airbender as well as comic-book series including Batman, Spider-man, Iron Man and other heroes. Away from the classroom, he enjoys portrait photography, film music, and sharing sunbeams with his cats.
