He holds a dual-PhD in history and religious studies from Northwestern University and teaches courses on African American religion, North American religion, and religion in the civil rights movement. He has written widely on Mennonites, whiteness, childhood, and the broad theme of race and religion. His most recent book is Two Weeks Every Summer: Fresh Air Children and the Problem of Race in America (Cornell University Press, 2017). His next book project is entitled Devout Demonstrators: Religious Resources and Protest Movements.