Joan Braune, Ph.D.

Dr. Braune works in Social and Political Philosophy, Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion. More specifically, her work has focused on Frankfurt School Critical Theory, especially the contributions of Erich Fromm; the study of fascist and far-right movements and how to counter their influence through ethical research practices and community activism; and the intersections of religious experience with the socialist philosophical tradition.

Dr. Braune is author of numerous works, including two single-author books: Understanding and Countering Fascist Movements: From Void to Hope (Routledge 2024) and Erich Fromm’s Revolutionary Hope: Towards a Critical Theory of the Future (Sense Publishers 2014). She is co-editor of The Ethics of Researching the Far Right: Critical Approaches and Reflections (Manchester University Press 2024) and Erich Fromm’s Critical Theory: Hope, Humanism, and the Future (Bloomsbury 2020). Her latest book, On Christian Nationalism: Critical and Theological Perspectives, edited by David M. Gides and Joan Braune, will be published by Routledge’s Studies on Fascism and Far Right Series in January 2026.

She is a frequent invited speaker to help community organizations, high school teachers, labor unions, faith communities and others, understand and respond to the threat posed by hate groups. She has served on the International Council of Experts for the Gonzaga Center for the Study of Hate and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Hate Studies.

Dr. Braune is the advisor to the Philosophy of Law Club and loves talking with students about current issues and timeless existential quandaries.